General Assembly A/71/19* Official Records Seventy-first Session Supplement No. 19
Report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
2017 substantive session (New York, 21 February–17 March 2017)
United Nations New York, 2017
* Second reissue for technical reasons (7 December 2017).
Note
Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.
[20 March 2017]
Contents
Chapter Page
I. Introduction ...... 4
II. Organizational matters ...... 5
III. Consideration of the draft report of the Working Group ...... 7
IV. Adoption of the report to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session ...... 8
V. Proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee ...... 9
A. Introduction ...... 9
B. Guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates ...... 10
C. Restructuring of peacekeeping ...... 11
D. Safety and security ...... 11
E. Conduct and discipline ...... 19
F. Strengthening operational capacity ...... 23
G. Strategies for complex peacekeeping operations ...... 34
H. Cooperation with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries ...... 64 I. Triangular cooperation among the Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop - contributing and police-contributing countries ...... 65
J. Cooperation with regional arrangements ...... 67
K. Enhancement of African peacekeeping capacities ...... 69
L. Developing stronger United Nations field support arrangements ...... 72
M. Best practices and training ...... 75
N. Personnel ...... 81
O. Financial issues ...... 83
P. Other matters ...... 84 Annexes
I. Decision on working methods ...... 86
II. Composition of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations ...... 87
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Chapter I Introduction
1. By its resolution 70/268, the General Assembly welcomed the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/70/19), decided that the Committee, in accordance with its mandate, should continue its efforts for a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, review the implementation of its previous proposals and consider an y new proposals so as to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil its responsibilities in that field, and requested the Committee to submit a report on its work to the Assembly at its seventy-first session.
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Chapter II Organizational matters
A. Opening and duration of the session
2. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations held its 2017 session at United Nations Headquarters from 21 February to 17 March 2017 and held five plenary meetings. 3. The session was opened by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. At the 249th (opening) meeting, on 21 February, the Chef de Cabinet, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Under-Secretary- General for Field Support made statements. 4. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support provided support to the Committee on substantive issues, while the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management served as the technical secretariat of the Committee.
B. Election of officers
5. At its 249th meeting, the Committee elected the following officers by acclamation: Chair: Mr. Anthony Bosah (Nigeria) Vice-Chairs: Mr. Mateo Estreme (Argentina) Mr. Michael Grant (Canada) Mr. Takeshi Akahori (Japan) Ms. Margareta Kassangana-Jakubowska (Poland) Rapporteur: Mr. Mohammed Halima (Egypt)
C. Agenda
6. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted the provisional agenda (A/AC.121/2017/L.1), which read: 1. Opening of the session. 2. Election of officers. 3. Adoption of the agenda. 4. Organization of work. 5. General debate. 6. In-session briefings. 7. Consideration of the draft report by the Working Group of the Whole. 8. Adoption of the report to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. 9. Other matters. 7. The Committee also approved its draft programme of work (A/AC.121/2017/L.2).
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D. Organization of work
8. Also at its 249th meeting, the Committee decided to establish a working group of the whole, to be chaired by Michael Grant (Canada), to consider the substance of the mandate entrusted to the Committee by the General Assembly. 9. At the same meeting, the Committee agreed that certain sections and subsections contained in the report on the 2016 substantive session (A/70/19) would be negotiated in the Working Group of the Whole and that those sections and subsections that were not being negotiated in 2017 would be technically updated. 10. At its 253rd meeting, the Committee adopted a draft decision on working methods (A/AC.121/2017/L.4) (see annex I to the present report). 11. The composition of the Committee at its 2017 session is contained in annex II to the present report. The list of documents for the session is contained in A/AC.121/2017/INF/2 and the list of participants in the session is contained in A/AC.121/2017/INF/4.
E. Proceedings of the Committee
12. At its 249th to 252nd meetings, on 21 and 22 February, the Committee held a general debate on a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. Statements were made by the representatives of Morocco (on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries), El Salvador (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Indonesia (on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, then in a national capacity), Canada (on behalf of Australia, Canada and New Zealand), the European Union (also on behalf of Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine), South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Turkey, the Philippines, Norway, Egypt, Guatemala, Pakistan, China, Uruguay, Peru, Thailand, India, the United States of America, Cuba, Japan, Mali, Ethiopia, Jamaica, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Bangladesh, Brazil, Senegal, Nigeria, Myanmar, the Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the Sudan, Chile, Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, Georgia, Armenia, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Serbia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Eritrea, Tunisia, the Republic of Korea, Honduras, Nepal, Uganda, Israel and Djibouti. 13. Statements were also made by the observers for the International Organization of la Francophonie and the African Union. 14. On 23 and 24 February, the Working Group of the Whole heard briefings. On 23 February, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support made presentations and engaged in an interactive segment. On 24 February, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations gave a briefing on operational field issues. 15. On 3 March, at the 4th meeting of the Working Group of the Whole, the President of the General Assembly made a statement and engaged in the ensuing interactive segment. 16. The Working Group of the Whole and its four sub-working groups met from 27 February to 17 March and concluded their work on draft recommendations.
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Chapter III Consideration of the draft report of the Working Group
17. At its 253rd meeting, on 17 March, the Committee considered the recommendations of the Working Group of the Whole and decided to include its recommendations in the present report (see paras. 19–419) for consideration by the General Assembly.
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Chapter IV Adoption of the report to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session
18. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted its draft report to the General Assembly as introduced by the Rapporteur of the Committee.
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Chapter V Proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee
A. Introduction
19. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, in making its recommendations, reaffirms the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. 20. The Special Committee pays tribute to the men and women who have served and continue to serve in peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage. Particular tribute is due to those who have given their lives for the maintenance of peace and security. 21. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of 29 May, the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, as providing an occasion to pay tribute on an annual basis at the Memorial to the Fallen (also known as the “United Nations Peacekeepers Memorial”) to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in serving the cause of peace. In this regard, the Special Committee recommends the establishment, through voluntary contributions, of a memorial wall at the United Nations Peacekeepers Memorial at Headquarters and requests that due consideration be given to the modalities involved, including the recording of the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice. 22. The Special Committee reaffirms that the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security rests with the United Nations, in accordance with the Charter, and affirms that United Nations peacekeeping is one of the key instruments available to the United Nations in discharging that responsibility. The Special Committee, as the only United Nations forum mandated to comprehensively review the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, including measures aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Organization to conduct United Nations peacekeeping operations, is uniquely able to make a significant contribution in the area of issues and policy relating to United Nations peacekeeping operations. It encourages other United Nations bodies, funds and programmes to avail themselves of the Special Committee’s particular perspective on United Nations peacekeeping operations. Thus, the Special Committee, as a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, recalls that its recommendations and conclusions reflect, first and foremost, its unique peacekeeping expertise. 23. Noting the continued efforts of United Nations peacekeeping in various parts of the world, which requires the participation of Member States in various activities, the Special Committee considers it essential for the United Nations to be able to maintain international peace and security effectively. This calls for, among other things, improved capacity to assess conflict situations, effective planning and management of United Nations peacekeeping operations and quick and effective responses to any Security Council mandate. 24. The Special Committee stresses the importance of consistently applying the principles and standards it has set forth for the establishment and conduct of United Nations peacekeeping operations and emphasizes the need to continue to consider those principles, as well as definitions of peacekeeping, in a systematic fashion. New proposals or conditions concerning United Nations peacekeeping operations should be the subject of thorough consideration in the Special Committee.
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25. The Special Committee, acknowledging the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the direction and control of United Nations peacekeeping operations, requests the Secretariat to provide, at the start of its substantive session, an informal briefing, especially with regard to operational field issues, including the Secretariat’s assessment of developments in ongoing United Nations peacekeeping operations. 26. The Special Committee recalls that United Nations peacekeeping is conducted in accordance with the relevant chapters of the Charter. In this regard, nothing in the present report circumscribes the primary responsibility of the Security Council for maintaining or restoring international peace and security.
B. Guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates
27. The Special Committee stresses that peacekeeping operations should strictly observe the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter. It emphasizes that respect for the principles of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States and non-intervention in matters that are essentially within the national jurisdiction of any State is crucial to common efforts, including peacekeeping operations, to promote international peace and security. 28. The Special Committee believes that respect for the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as the consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force except in self-defence and in the defence of a mandate authorized by the Security Council, is essential to its success. 29. The Special Committee is of the view that peacekeeping operations should not be used as a substitute for addressing the root causes of conflict. Those causes should be addressed in a coherent, well-planned, coordinated and comprehensive manner, using political, social and developmental instruments. Consideration should be given to the ways in which those efforts can continue without interruption after the departure of a peacekeeping operation so as to ensure a smooth transition to lasting peace and security and development. 30. The Special Committee continues to stress the importance of providing peacekeeping operations with clearly defined mandates, objectives and command structures, adequate resources based on a realistic assessment of the situation and secure financing in support of efforts to achieve peaceful solutions to conflicts. It also stresses the need to ensure, in the formulation and implementation of mandates, adequate resources and congruity among mandates, resources and realizable objectives. The Special Committee emphasizes that, when changes are made in an existing mandate, commensurate changes should be made in the resources available to a peacekeeping operation for carrying out its new mandate. Changes in the mandate of an ongoing mission should be based on a thorough and timely reassessment by the Security Council, in consultation with troop-contributing countries through the mechanisms prescribed in Council resolution 1353 (2001) and the note by the President of the Council of 14 January 2002 (S/2002/56). 31. The Special Committee stresses that the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, pursuant to Article 24 of the Charter. 32. The Special Committee stresses the need to ensure the unity of command of United Nations peacekeeping operations. It recalls that the overall political direction and control of United Nations peacekeeping operations are within the purview of the Security Council.
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C. Restructuring of peacekeeping
33. The Special Committee stresses that successful oversight requires, but is not limited to, the principles of unity of command and integration of efforts at all levels, both in the field and at Headquarters. The Special Committee takes note of the report on the implementation of the integrated operational teams (A/65/669) and urges the Secretariat to ensure the optimal configuration of integrated operational teams through the enhancement of their flexibility and an effective use of resources. 34. The Special Committee stresses the importance of effective Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support that are efficiently structured and adequately staffed, in particular, but not exclusively, during periods of surge, transition and drawdown of peacekeeping operations, and stresses that effective coordination between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support must lead to more efficient oversight and better responsiveness to changes in the field. 35. The Special Committee underlines the importance of strengthening coherence among the various strands of policy development carried out in different areas of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support and notes the role of the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division in this process. 36. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of preserving unity of command in missions at all levels, as well as coherence in policy and strategy and clear command structures in the field and up to and including at Headquarters, and in this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the briefing provided by the Secretariat in February 2012 on the results of the evaluation on command and control arrangements for peacekeeping. 37. The Special Committee, noting the increasing complexity of United Nations peacekeeping operations, urges the Secretariat to better develop strategic communication and operational-level public information activities to ensure the continued support for United Nations peacekeeping and to better respond to public perceptions of the role and impact of peacekeeping on the ground.
D. Safety and security
1. General
38. The Special Committee condemns, in the strongest terms, the killing of United Nations peacekeeping personnel and all acts of violence against such personnel and recognizes that they constitute a major challenge to United Nations field operations. Perpetrators of such attacks must be brought to justice, and the Special Committee calls upon all States hosting peacekeeping operations to promptly investigate and effectively prosecute those responsible for attacks against United Nations peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee also condemns restrictions in any form on the freedom of movement of United Nations peacekeeping personnel and assets within the mandate, in particular restrictions in respect of medical evacuation. The Special Committee emphasizes that the primary responsibility for the safety and security of United Nations personnel and assets rests with the host State. The Secretary-General is requested to continue to include, in his annual report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, a separate section on safety and security, including database statistics on targeted attacks against United Nations peacekeeping operations, their possible causes, situations where host nations could not provide the necessary support to deflect or prevent attacks and identifiable trends. The Special Committee requests
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that the report also include measures taken by the Secretariat and each field mission to prevent their recurrence and to address and mitigate these threats. 39. The Special Committee notes with concern that the deteriorating and complex environment in which peacekeepers are deployed has increased the nature and scale of security challenges in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to work closely with Member States to strengthen the capability of the United Nations system to ensure the safety and security of United Nations personnel and therefore underscores the need for appropriately resourced, well-equipped and capable United Nations peacekeeping missions. 40. The Special Committee underscores the importance of the Secretariat and the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries increasing their efforts to strengthen the capability of the United Nations system in respect of the safety and security of United Nations personnel through enhanced utilization of and training for theatre reconnaissance systems, at the sector and mission levels, increased means of protection against improvised explosive devices, information collection and analysis and communication systems for improved mission situational awareness and force protection, including detection and surveillance. The Special Committee requests a briefing on peacekeeping operation capabilities prior to the 2018 substantive session, with a focus on the consistency of the level of ambition set by the Secretariat in respect of the safety and security challenges met by United Nations staff in the mission area of operations. 41. The Special Committee notes the 2016 revised version of the Policy on Aviation Safety and requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep under review policies and procedures with respect to the safety and security of United Nations military and civilian aviation capacities, taking into account lessons learned. 42. The Special Committee notes with concern that the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping missions in fragile political and security environments, escalating levels of violence and the asymmetrical and complex threats have resulted in a rise in the number of deaths as well as other security incidents, including abductions and serious injuries of United Nations personnel caused by targeted attacks. The Special Committee commends the commitment of troop- contributing and police-contributing countries in missions where the operating environment poses a serious risk to the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. 43. The Special Committee notes that military and police contingents from either individual States or other regional organizations are sometimes deployed with different mandates and arrangements alongside United Nations peacekeeping operations in the same host State, and in this regard emphasizes the importance for United Nations peacekeeping operations to maintain their distinct identity and roles. The Special Committee welcomes efforts to increase the exchange of information between all parties to enhance safety and security and stresses the importance of its appropriate continuation during withdrawal and reconfiguration phases. 44. The Special Committee finds completely unacceptable any attempt to seize or destroy United Nations and contingent-owned equipment. The Special Committee stresses the importance of fully respecting the obligations relating to the use of vehicles and premises of United Nations peacekeeping personnel as defined by relevant international instruments, as well as the obligations relating to distinctive emblems recognized in the Geneva Conventions. In this regard, the Special Committee also stresses the importance of the Secretariat, working in close coordination with the missions and host State, to review its mechanism to promptly solve all cases involving the confiscation or destruction of United Nations and
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contingent-owned equipment by a third party in order to ensure the effective implementation of the mandate, in particular the safety and security of peacekeepers. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to promptly report its findings to Member States in this regard. 45. The Special Committee stresses the need for missions to provide accurate and timely information to Headquarters and, where appropriate, to other United Nations missions in the same region about incidents involving the safety and security of United Nations personnel and United Nations contractors deployed in peacekeeping missions, including serious illness, injury, accident and death, violations of status- of-forces agreements, abductions and hostage-taking, and in this regard requests the Secretariat to examine ways to improve coordination in this area. The Special Committee reiterates the need for Headquarters to officially and immediately convey such information to the permanent missions of the Member States concerned. 46. The Special Committee welcomes the ongoing development of NOTICAS as a secure, web-based reporting and database system that allows missions to report casualty data directly into a central database, to ensure more timely notification of casualty information. The Special Committee encourages the ongoing efforts by the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre to make redundant the paper-based notification-of-casualty incident information system that is currently in place and to update and expand the existing Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Department of Field Support standard operating procedures regarding NOTICAS. A progress report on the implementation of this system is requested by the end of 2017. 47. The Special Committee, in view of serious incidents involving the safety and security of peacekeepers, such as abductions and hostage-taking, reiterates the importance of transparent, active, open and regular dialogue among troop - contributing and police-contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat and stresses that timely coordination and information-sharing among these stakeholders contribute to the prevention and positive resolution of such incidents when they occur. 48. The Special Committee urges Member States, including those hosting peacekeeping missions that have not yet done so, to consider becoming parties to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and the Optional Protocol thereto. The Special Committee notes that, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 58/82, the Secretariat is consistently incorporating the key provisions of the Convention, including those regarding the prevention of attacks against members of the operation, the establishment of such attacks as crimes punishable by law and the prosecution or extradition of offenders, into status-of-forces, status-of-mission and host-country agreements negotiated between the United Nations and host countries. 49. The Special Committee recalls the comprehensive report of the Secretary- General on all processes involved in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against deployed United Nations peacekeepers (A/66/598). The Special Committee underlines the need for the clear demarcation of the applicability of the laws of the host Government and the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries with respect to crimes committed against United Nations peacekeepers and the imperative of uniform applicability of the respective laws to the military and the police components of the peacekeeping mission. The Special Committee stresses the responsibility of Member States, including the host countries of peacekeeping operations, to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of attacks against the United Nations and its personnel in a timely manner. The Special Committee acknowledges the efforts of the United Nations to convene boards of inquiry and to
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encourage host Governments to carry out national investigations to bring the perpetrators of attacks and other crimes against United Nations peacekeepers to justice. The Special Committee requests a briefing, prior to the next substantive session, to further clarify all United Nations internal policies, rules and procedures on internal investigations of attacks and other crimes against United Nations peacekeepers. 50. The Special Committee underlines the importance of predeployment and in-theatre training and briefings and of providing peacekeeping personnel with adequate equipment to fulfil the mandate, including medical, self-defence and related equipment, in accordance with United Nations standards and in a timely manner, in order to prevent casualties and ensure the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. The Special Committee acknowledges that troop-contributing and police-contributing countries must ensure that their military and police are adequately trained, including on counter-improvised explosive device, health and gender-specific risk considerations. 51. The Special Committee also underlines the need to strengthen the respective roles and responsibilities of the Secretariat and the troop-contributing and police- contributing countries. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to continue to include in his annual report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations identified lessons learned to improve the safety and security of United Nations peacekeeping personnel. 52. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to take measures to ensure that all troops and units in the field are capable of safely, securely and effectively delivering their mandates, with a strategic and holistic view on a wide range of issues, including mission leadership, the chain of command, rules of engagement, predeployment assessment and training, policies and standards and the use of protective equipment and high-level technological assets. The Special Committee notes that the Office of the Director for Peacekeeping Strategic Partnership has made the safety and security of peacekeepers an integral part of its reviews of uniformed components on field missions and has made recommendations in each of its reviews aimed at enhancing safety and security. The Special Committee in this regard requests the Secretary-General to consult regularly with Member States on the way forward and to keep them informed of the Office’s planned activities and findings. The Special Committee also notes the continued implementation by the Secretariat of the operational readiness assurance and performance improvement policy. 53. The Special Committee notes the ongoing development of the SAGE data and incident management system and the United Nations Open Geographic Information System Initiative. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an update on the impact of both of these programmes in advance of its next regular session. 54. Noting the addendum to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/71/587/Add.1) and also noting the release in 2015 of the report of the Expert Panel on Technology and Innovation in United Nations Peacekeeping, the Special Committee requests that the Secretariat continue to consult with Member States on the way forward, in particular with regard to developing a policy framework in relation to the use of technology by peacekeeping operations and identifying new technological solutions to challenges in the field, and to continue to include, in a separate section of the next annual report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee, a comprehensive assessment, including
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relevant information and lessons learned relating to the operation of unarmed and unmanned aerial systems in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee encourages the United Nations to develop a handbook, in close consultations with Member States, drawing on their views and legitimate concerns, in order to achieve a common and clear understanding of issues related to the use of technology in peacekeeping. 55. The Special Committee, noting that security issues may have a transnational character, encourages the exchange between peacekeeping missions of security information necessary to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers. 56. The Special Committee stresses the importance of peacekeeping missions and the Secretariat being prepared to manage and respond to crisis situations that threaten the safety and security of United Nations personnel, including by conducting crisis response exercises and, in particular, effective and tested casualty evacuation responses in missions. In this regard, the Special Committee notes that the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre supports the coordination of a system-wide response to crises in the field and is the primary venue for crisis management at Headquarters. The Special Committee stresses the importance of comprehensive contingency planning and recommends that, whenever possible, planned crisis response exercises be conducted in the missions and at Headquarters, including casualty evacuation exercises, focusing on lessons learned and best practices. The Special Committee in this regard takes note of the development of the United Nations crisis management policy and its subsequent endorsement by the Secretary-General, as well as the ongoing work to develop, review and update the crisis management standard operating procedures for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, and requests an update before its next substantive session. 57. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of a structured security risk management process to address safety and security risks. The Special Committee requests that updates on the security situation in existing missions, including any changes in the security level, be provided on a regular basis during scheduled meetings or upon the request of troop-contributing or police-contributing countries; encourages the timely implementation of a structured security risk management process for uniformed contingent personnel; and requests a briefing on progress in this regard before its next substantive session. 58. The Special Committee notes the ongoing consolidation of all Secretariat security resources at Headquarters under the leadership of the Department of Safety and Security, in line with General Assembly resolution 59/276, and requests an update on progress in this regard, including the Internal Security and Safety Network (SAFETYNET), before its next substantive session. 59. The Special Committee reiterates its request to be fully informed of investigations in peacekeeping field missions, except for misconduct cases, where relevant memorandums of understanding will apply. The Special Committee stresses the need for the Secretariat to improve the prompt dissemination of infor mation to and communications with the Member States concerned whenever there is an incident in a peacekeeping mission that negatively affects operational effectiveness or results in serious injury to or the death of United Nations peacekeeping personnel, from the beginning to the conclusion of the investigation of the incident. The Special Committee urges that findings of boards of inquiry on serious injury or death be immediately communicated to the Member States concerned. The Special Committee requests a briefing on findings of boards of inquiry into serious injury or death of United Nations peacekeeping personnel before its next substantive session.
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60. The Special Committee notes with concern that some deployed troop formations and police contingents continue to be stretched to cover geographical areas that exceed their capacities. Such practices not only threaten the safety and security of those troops but also adversely affect their capacity to implement the mandate and should therefore be avoided. The Special Committee requests that any significant adjustments in or changes to the original concept of operations, rules of engagement or force requirements should be made in close consultation with, and with the consent of, the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee stresses that temporary operating bases should have a defined time frame for deployment with the force protection measures and infrastructure necessary in place in order to safeguard deployed troops and police. 61. The Special Committee notes the ongoing implementation of the human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support for non-United Nations security forces, including through the conduct of risk assessments, the adoption of mission - specific standard operating procedures and the establishment of mission-level mechanisms, and encourages the continued implementation of the policy in peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee requests an update on the implementation of the policy in peacekeeping missions before its next substantive session. 62. Noting with serious concern that accidents remain one of the primary causes of death of peacekeepers, the Special Committee notes the ongoing efforts of the Secretariat to continue to develop and implement field occupational safety policies in order to reduce the risk of death or injury to United Nations personnel. The Special Committee in this regard takes note of the recent decisions by the Management Committee of the Secretariat to develop a strong occupational safety and health framework, policy and risk management programme with specific hazard and risk control emphasis for peacekeeping personnel deployed to field missions. The Special Committee requests information on the implementation progress in this regard. 63. The Special Committee also stresses the necessity for the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to provide adequate predeployment training with regard to mitigating risks of preventable and potentially avoidable accidents and for the Secretariat to undertake appropriate measures in this regard. 64. The Special Committee underlines the importance it places on the safety and security of peacekeepers in the field. The Special Committee notes the 2015 edition of the United Nations Medical Support Manual, including clear minimum standards for all United Nations medical capabilities, and the work under way to establish a medical performance framework for United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to develop United Nations mission medical protocols in consultation with Member States and requests an update prior to its 2018 substantive session in this regard. The Special Committee emphasizes the responsibility of the United Nations and Member States to ensure that adequate medical facilities are in place and that medical personnel assigned to mission areas are qualified to provide immediate and proper medical attention to peacekeepers in accordance with United Nations medical standards, tailored to the operational environment and with the required language skills. The Special Committee commends efforts to strengthen first aid training for deployed personnel and establish clear and minimum standards for combat medics and aeromedical teams. 65. The Special Committee emphasizes that timely and reliable medical evacuation and casualty evacuation, including, as necessary, the use of helicopters with night flight capability, should be a priority in all mission start-ups and must be maintained continuously throughout the mission. The Special Committee urges that
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force commanders be given direct tasking authority for military utility helicopters and medical evacuation and casualty evacuation helicopters when the mission’s concept of operations requires it and in order to respond in a timely manner to crisis situations or accidents. The Special Committee underlines that clear capability standards that ease the facilitation of rapid responses, especially during life-or-death situations, should be established for casualty evacuations and medical evacuations. 66. The Special Committee recognizes the growing explosive threats faced by peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee commends the innovative efforts of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries that continue to execute their mandate in a high-threat environment where improvised explosive devices are present. The Special Committee stresses the importance of the mitigation of improvised explosive device threats to enhance the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel and enable the delivery of mission mandates. The Special Committee takes note of the increasing demands placed on the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, other specialized agencies and the United Nations Mine Action Service with respect to supporting peacekeeping operations and encourages the Secretariat to strengthen its capacity in this area. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts of Member States and the Secretariat in the development of the Improvised Explosive Device Threat Mitigation Military and Police Handbook, lexicon and an online resource hub, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Military Unit Manual, as well as the ongoing development of improvised explosive device disposal standards, which will contribute to enhancing the capability of contingents, peacekeeping operations and host countries to deal with the improvised explosive device threat. The Special Committee recognizes the continued requirement in asymmetric threat environments for coordinated, theatre- specific, standardized predeployment training, mentoring and advisory support to peacekeepers, to mitigate the threat of improvised explosive devices, and supports their implementation, as appropriate. The Special Committee notes with concern that improvised explosive devices remain a major threat to execution of the mandate and to peacekeepers and that the initiatives to mitigate improvised explosive device threats remain inadequate. To assist in the development of a United Nations counter-improvised explosive device strategy, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to include troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and requests that the Secretariat provide an update on the progress in the development of the strategy before its next substantive session. Adequate force protection equipment and clear command and control arrangements must be equally addressed as priorities for the safety and security of peacekeepers. 67. The Special Committee reaffirms that the use of force in peacekeeping operations should abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles that govern such operations. In this regard, the Special Committee recognizes that owing to their composition and character, United Nations peacekeeping missions are neither suited nor equipped to engage in counter-terrorism operations. The Special Committee notes that, in situations where a peacekeeping operation operates in parallel with counter-terrorism forces, the respective role of each presence should be clearly delineated.
2. Peacekeeping-Intelligence/Information Gathering and Analysis
68. The Special Committee recognizes that some peacekeeping missions have been deployed in fragile political and security environments with asymmetrical and complex threats. In this context, the Special Committee recalls paragraph 52 of its report (A/70/19) noting its request for the Secretariat to develop a more cohesive and integrated United Nations system for situational awareness, and takes note of the draft “peacekeeping intelligence framework”. In this regard, the Special
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Committee underscores that the non-clandestine acquisition, verification, processing, analysis and dissemination of information by a United Nations peacekeeping mission within a specific, directed cycle, and within its mandate and area of operation, must be performed in full compliance with the Charter of the United Nations, for the safety and security and protection of civilian tasks of the Security Council mandate. Furthermore, the Special Committee urges the Secretariat to undertake close consultations with Member States, drawing on their views and legitimate concerns in this regard. The Special Committee further urges continued consultations as further policies and procedures are developed. 69. In addition, the Special Committee notes that there is not only one solution for safety and security. Adequate equipment, effective command and control and adherence to United Nations standards and procedures also contribute towards enhanced safety and security. 70. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of upholding the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to develop, before the end of 2017, specific and detailed legal, operational and technical guidelines. 71. The Special Committee notes the potential effect on neighbouring States and the region. In this context, the Special Committee highlights the importance of the peacekeeping mission coordinating and liaising with neighbouring States and regional organizations, as appropriate. 72. The Special Committee reiterates that due consideration should be given to the importance of recruiting United Nations personnel on as wide a geographical basis as possible and knowledge of local environment and culture when recruiting qualified personnel to carry out these activities. 73. The Special Committee emphasizes the need to guarantee the confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the context of peacekeeping and underscores that the use of such sensitive information must be consistent with the peacekeeping mission’s mandate, namely, on a need-to-know basis, and must not be used to compromise the host State. The Special Committee also requests the Secretariat to issue guidance and develop procedures concerning the handling of any sensitive information to guarantee such confidentiality and to ensure that the management of such information is in accordance with operational requirements and directed by the senior mission leadership. In that regard, the Special Committee notes the promulgated compulsory training programme for all staff on information sensitivity, classification and handling. 74. The Special Committee recognizes the role that the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre, Joint Operations Centres, Joint Mission Analysis Centres and Military Information Staff Branch (U2) play in enhancing the safety and security of peacekeepers. The Special Committee underlines the importance of the exchange of relevant information among Joint Operations Centres, Joint Mission Analysis Centres and security-related analysis capabilities and takes note of the efforts of the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre to facilitate information-sharing. The Special Committee acknowledges the establishment of a mandatory watch capacity on a 24-hour, seven-day-per-week basis in the Mission Joint Operations Centres and the Joint Watch Room in the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre and stresses the need for continued improvements in the procedures relating to the passage of such information. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an update on the impact of the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre, Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis Centres on these issues, including possible gaps, in advance of its next regular session.
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E. Conduct and discipline
75. The Special Committee reaffirms the need to ensure that all categories of personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations conduct themselves in such a manner as to preserve the credibility, impartiality and integrity of the United Nations. The Special Committee emphasizes that misconduct is unacceptable and that the reputation of peacekeeping missions in the eyes of the local population has a direct bearing on the operational effectiveness of these missions. The Special Committee underlines the necessity of investigating promptly any allegations and taking disciplinary measures against personnel found to have committed any form of misconduct. The Special Committee underscores the need for all United Nations personnel to act in a manner that reflects the values of the United Nations and in accordance with the mission mandate. The Special Committee encourages the United Nations to operate in a professional and disciplined manner at all times, reflecting an understanding of cultural awareness, and with the aim of gaining and maintaining the trust of the local population. In this regard, the Special Committee recognizes the importance of maintaining contact and communications, during operations, with the local population and recommends that the United Nations take steps to increase the number of women deployed in missions and to enhance the utilization of outreach programmes. The Special Committee also recommends that the Civil Affairs Section maintain contact with the female population and female focus groups, who form an important conduit in the reporting process of allegations of misconduct. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to ensure that missions communicate with the host country, the local community and the victim, respecting confidentiality, on investigation processes and the outcomes, in a timely manner. The Special Committee calls upon the leadership of peacekeeping missions, at all levels, to maintain discipline and enforce United Nations regulations regarding conduct and discipline, in particular regarding acts of sexual exploitation and abuse. In particular, the Special Committee requests that force commanders and police commissioners record all breaches of conduct and discipline, including any instances of failure to follow orders, and report them to Headquarters. In turn, the Secretariat must inform the Member State concerned on serious breaches of conduct and discipline. The Special Committee takes note of Security Council resolution 2272 (2016), General Assembly resolution 71/278 and the report of the Secretary- General (A/71/818). 76. The Special Committee reiterates the necessity of investigating promptly any credible allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse for all categories of United Nations personnel according to applicable agreements and established procedures and of taking appropriate disciplinary measures against personnel when suc h allegations are found to be substantiated. The Special Committee stresses the necessity of holding accountable those found to have committed any criminal offences or misconduct. The Special Committee welcomes all efforts by the Secretary-General to prevent such incidents and notes the proposed initiatives on prevention, enforcement and remedial action, including support to victims. The Special Committee highlights the continued need to strengthen measures against all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations personnel throughout the system, as well as by non-United Nations personnel serving under the mandate of the Security Council. In this regard, the Special Committee acknowledges the importance of the implementation of Security Council resolution 2272 (2016). 77. The Special Committee welcomes the Secretary-General’s commitment to consider revising his 2003 bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13) to resolve ambiguities over
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prohibited acts of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse involving sexual relationships between United Nations staff and beneficiaries of assistance. 78. The Special Committee acknowledges that any form of misconduct by peacekeepers, including allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, has a damaging effect on the credibility, effectiveness and reputation of the United Nations. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to review and standardize, across the United Nations Secretariat departments and other United Nations organizations, the policies and procedures for the initial assessment of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, taking into account the proper administration of justice and fairness, and to report thereon in the context of his next report on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. 79. The Special Committee re-emphasizes the principle that the same standards of conduct must be applied without exception to all categories of United Nations peacekeeping personnel. The Special Committee stresses that, in the case of any violations of standards, appropriate action will be taken within the authority of the Secretary-General, while criminal and disciplinary responsibility in respect of members of national contingents and personnel deployed as experts on missions will be exercised in accordance with the national law of the contributing State. The Special Committee affirms that all peacekeeping personnel must be informed of and adhere to all applicable rules, regulations, provisions and guidelines provided by the United Nations for peacekeepers, as well as national laws and regulations, as appropriate. The Special Committee reaffirms that all acts of misconduct should be investigated and punished without delay in accordance with due process of law and memorandums of understanding that have been concluded between the United Nations and the contributing State. The Special Committee highlights the necessity for the mission to report back to the local population, respecting confidentiality, on the investigation process and on the outcome of investigations into misconduct, including those of sexual exploitation and abuse, in a timely manner. 80. The Special Committee acknowledges the efforts of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in respect of showing a strong commitment to address the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse by adopting or reinforcing internal national mechanisms. 81. The Special Committee re-emphasizes the importance of enhancing mandatory predeployment and in-mission training on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. The Special Committee welcomes the development of the e-learning programme for Member States on sexual exploitation and abuse and encourages its translation into the official United Nations languages. It further encourages missions to conduct regular in-field training and awareness-raising seminars, supplementary to the mandatory predeployment training on sexual exploitation and abuse for troops, police and civilians deployed to United Nations missions. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the recent development of training measures for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and urges the Secretariat to take full advantage of these measures. The Special Committee also reminds troop- contributing and police-contributing countries to submit certification to the Secretary-General confirming that contingents have received predeployment training on sexual exploitation and abuse based on United Nations training materials. 82. The Special Committee welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of its resolution 71/134 on the criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission and strongly encourages Member States to implement all the provisions of the resolution, in particular the provision regarding the establishment of jurisdiction over crimes, in particular those of a serious nature, as known in their
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existing national criminal laws, committed by their nationals while serving as United Nations officials. The Special Committee looks forward to further progress in addressing the criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission. 83. The Special Committee reiterates that troop-contributing and police- contributing countries bear the primary responsibility for maintaining discipline among their contingents deployed in peacekeeping missions. 84. The Special Committee stresses that, where allegations of human rights violations or sexual exploitation and abuse by non-United Nations forces acting under a mandate authorized by the Security Council are reported to a parallel United Nations presence, that presence must convey immediately a report of such allegations to the Governments concerned, including that of the host country, and/or regional organizations, as appropriate, as well as to Headquarters. Furthermore, the Special Committee urges Member States deploying non-United Nations forces authorized under a Security Council mandate to take timely and appropriate steps to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse and to hold the perpetrators accountable. 85. The Special Committee recognizes that enhanced transparency of communications prevents allegations of misconduct from damaging the credibility of any United Nations peacekeeping mission, troop-contributing or police- contributing country or United Nations personnel. The Special Committee requests Member States to report to the Secretariat proactively and on a systematic basis on the status of ongoing investigations, including, when appropriate, on prosecution and disciplinary actions taken in order to finalize open cases of misconduct, including those of sexual exploitation and abuse. 86. The Special Committee emphasizes that the leadership is essential to the maintenance of good order and discipline and vital to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. The Special Committee reiterates that the responsibility for creating and maintaining an environment that prevents all forms of misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, must be part of the performance objecti ves of special representatives of the Secretary-General and heads of mission, managers and commanders involved in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee notes with appreciation that accountability compacts have been extended to special representatives of the Secretary-General and Heads of Mission and calls upon Member States to ensure that their commanders exercise their responsibilities for the conduct and discipline of their national contingent while assigned to United Nations peacekeeping missions, including cooperating in United Nations authorized investigations and taking actions in respect of allegations. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of informing managers and commanders once an allegation is first reported, in accordance with the Department of Political Affairs/Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Department of Field Support policy on accountability for conduct and discipline in field missions. The Special Committee encourages managers and commanders to continue to facilitate investigations within their existing responsibilities. The Special Committee notes that the accountability framework on conduct and discipline for field missions has been enhanced with electronic quarterly and annual reporting tools, reflecting the implementation of the policy on accountability for conduct and discipline in field missions 87. The Special Committee underlines the responsibility of troop-contributing countries for investigating allegations of misconduct involving members of military contingents, as provided for by the revised model memorandum of understanding. In this regard, the Special Committee reiterates its call upon Member States to provide
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the Secretariat, in a timely manner, with the information required on disciplinary actions taken at the national level with respect to substantiated cases of misconduct by military and police personnel and to improve responsiveness in this regard. The Special Committee takes note of the Secretary-General’s expectation that Member States will complete investigations. 88. The Special Committee underlines the importance of a thorough screening of personnel prior to deployment in peacekeeping missions, including for criminal and human rights violations. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the implementation of the policy on human rights screening of United Nations personnel. The Special Committee welcomes the Secretary-General’s requirement for Member States to certify the vetting of all United Nations personnel before deployment. Furthermore, any individual against whom allegation(s) of misconduct are found to be unsubstantiated is allowed to be deployed to United Nations missions again, unless non-conduct and discipline-related issues prevent such future deployment. 89. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts of the Conduct and Discipline Unit at Headquarters and the conduct and discipline teams in the field and continues to encourage the further strengthening of cooperation and coordination among the Unit, its teams in the field, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and other relevant entities, both at Headquarters and in the field. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing on the measures taken and results achieved before its next substantive session. The Special Committee takes note of the efforts of the Secretary-General to strengthen investigations through OIOS and requests that the OIOS reports be systematically shared with the Member State concerned. 90. The Special Committee reaffirms the importance of continued and strengthened efforts to implement the policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Stressing the importance of eliminating all forms of misconduct, the Special Committee remains concerned about new cases of misconduct reported, including sexual exploitation and abuse, and about the number of outstanding allegations still awaiting investigation and encourages continued efforts to address this backlog. The Special Committee in this regard stresses the importance of immediately reporting allegations, as well as timely investigation of allegations, and calls upon Member States to cooperate with the United Nations to undertake measures for the protection of victims and witnesses, ensure child- and victim-sensitive investigation and ensure that all appropriate disciplinary and judicial decisions are enforced. The Special Committee urges the Secretariat to continue to monitor this effort and reiterates that all parties responsible for implementing the policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse must be held accountable. 91. The Special Committee recalls the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 62/214 containing the United Nations Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the importance of working closely with Member States in the implementation of the aforementioned Strategy and welcomes the establishment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations trust fund for the victims of sexual exploitation and abus e. In recognizing the importance of engaging communities and victims on prevention and reporting on sexual exploitation and abuse, the Special Committee welcomes the ongoing efforts of missions to implement community-based complaint mechanisms to ensure the availability of confidential and easily accessible reporting mechanisms for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of keeping local communities informed of the outcome of investigations
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into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, including any relevant disciplinary actions undertaken. The Special Committee requests an update on progress in this initiative before its next substantive session. 92. The Special Committee reaffirms the importance of welfare and recreation for the personnel serving in peacekeeping operations, bearing in mind that welfare and recreation also contribute to strengthening morale and discipline. The Special Committee reaffirms the important role of troop-contributing and police- contributing countries in providing for the welfare and recreation of contingent personnel and believes that the provision of facilities relating to welfare and recreation should be adequately prioritized during the establishment of peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing on welfare and recreation in peacekeeping missions before its next substantive session. 93. The Special Committee stresses the need for the continuous improvement in communication between the Secretariat and the troop-contributing and police- contributing countries so as to ensure the effectiveness of all procedures relating to conduct and discipline matters. The Special Committee underscores, in particular, the need for notifications to convey all relevant information in a timely and detailed manner. 94. The Special Committee welcomes the Secretary-General’s extension of the appointment of the Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and requests the Special Coordinator to fully engage with Member States.
F. Strengthening operational capacity
1. General
95. The Special Committee underlines that the United Nations must become a more field-oriented organization that is focused, inter alia, on engaging with, serving and protecting the people it has been mandated to assist. The Special Committee welcomes decisions by the Secretary-General to take steps within his authority to enhance the performance of the United Nations Secretariat in the peace and security pillar, including through the co-location and improved collaboration between the regional divisions of the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Special Committee also welcomes the establishment of an internal review team to develop options for further improvements to the functioning of the peace and security work of the Secretariat. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages the Secretary-General, through his parallel management review process, to ensure flexible, responsive delivery of support for field operations. 96. The Special Committee notes that military operational capacity is the ability to achieve a desired effect, in a specific operating environment, contributing to successful implementation of the mandate. It is defined by three interdependent factors: force (contingent) readiness, which includes resources, equipment and training; sustainability; and force (contingent) structure. 97. The Special Committee underscores the importance of ensuring that a sound and timely interaction and an enhanced understanding are maintained among the Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in order to devise clear, unambiguous and achievable phased mandates that will generate and mobilize the political, human, financial and logistical resources and information capacity necessary for achieving those mandates. The
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Special Committee recognizes that such interactions may consider issues relating to the mandates of peacekeeping operations, including, but not limited to, areas such as the safety and security of peacekeepers, strategic force generation, the protection of civilians, and support to a political process. In this regard, the Special Committee recognizes the importance of the early and continued engagement of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations to work in close cooperation with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and other relevant stakeholders, to address peacekeeping issues during all phases of the mission. 98. The Special Committee endorses the call for every contributor to clearly communicate, during negotiations over possible deployment and before deployment, any and all national caveats and equipment shortfalls regarding the use of their military or police contingents. The Special Committee recognizes that national caveats not declared and formally accepted by the Secretariat may adversely limit mandate implementation. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should be notified of any change in the status of caveats. 99. The Special Committee emphasizes the need for the Secretariat to work closely with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to ensure that memorandums of understanding are signed before or shortly after deployment to allow for better understanding of troop-contributing country unit capabilities and capacities, and implementation of the United Nations Reimbursement Framework. 100. The Special Committee recognizes the centrality of political processes, and in this regard takes note of the ongoing efforts made by the Secretariat to support system-wide improvements in analysis and planning through the joint conduct of strategic assessments, so as to provide increased clarity of political objectives for mission mandates in an effort to support political processes and conflict prevention efforts. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the establishment of the strategic analysis and planning capacity in the Executive Office of the Secretary- General. The Special Committee underlines the need to enhance analysis of conflict dynamics at the local, national and regional levels in order to support the formulation of clear strategies and policies aimed at strengthening the political process and requests an update in this regard. 101. The Special Committee emphasizes that planning should be based on clear and prioritized objectives of the mandate, measures of effectiveness that focus on the impact of delivery, benchmarks for success, and a plan to draw down and make the appropriate transition to a successor arrangement when those benchmarks are achieved. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to strengthen conflict analysis, including for the protection of civilians. The Special Committee notes that planning should involve national authorities, the United Nations country team and other key relevant actors at early stages. 102. The Special Committee emphasizes the need for a comprehensive and inclusive discussion on all aspects of the ways and means to enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping missions, including the requirement for peacekeeping missions to adopt a posture and take necessary action that will deter threats to the implementation of mandates; to enhance the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel; and to support the ongoing peace processes, in accordance with the Charter and the guiding principles outlined in the present report. 103. The Special Committee reiterates that there should be adequate capabilities and clear and appropriate operational guidelines for peacekeeping missions to ensure that they are able to effectively carry out all their mandated tasks. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue its work on a comprehensive capability-driven approach and on the development of an integrated capabilities and performance framework, in close cooperation with troop-
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contributing and police-contributing countries. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the Integrated Assessment and Planning Handbook and the Secretary-General’s Policy on Integrated Assessment and Planning and the efforts by the Secretariat to strengthen the operational readiness of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries for United Nations peacekeeping missions, including through the development of the operational readiness assurance and performance improvement policy. The Special Committee takes note of the ongoing work being carried out by the Uniformed Capabilities Development Steering Group to address critical capability gaps and encourages the holistic approach taken by the Steering Group of engaging all stakeholders. The Special Committee requests an updated briefing on the progress made before its next substantive session. 104. The Special Committee takes note of the progress made in developing the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to be transparent in selecting contingents from troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. In this regard, the Special Committee emphasizes that the basis of selection should include performance, capabilities and equipment. Furthermore, when a troop-contributing country has been notified/requested by the Secretariat to consider deploying a contingent to a specific peacekeeping mission and then is not selected for deployment, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide to that troop-contributing country, upon its request, an explanation of the decision in the format the country desires. 105. The Special Committee stresses the importance of the operational readiness of peacekeepers to effectively implement mandates and continues to emphasize the critical role of the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in force generation, including the enhanced participation of women, adequate preparation and predeployment training in accordance with the defined standards in the Guidelines on Operational Readiness Preparation for Troop- contributing Countries in Peacekeeping Missions (2016). The Special Committee notes the activities of the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell in conjunction with the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, which is aimed at ensuring enhanced readiness and the timely deployment of standardized peacekeeping capabilities (see A/70/579). The Special Committee fully endorses the publication of the report from the Uniformed Capabilities Development Steering Group entitled “Uniformed Capability Requirements for United Nations Peacekeeping: Current Gaps, Commitments to Enable More Rapid Deployment and other Capability Requirements” as a practical engagement with Member States and requests that it be issued quarterly. The Special Committee encourages further cooperation between the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries on measures to improve operational readiness and to continue to further explore force generation and long-term rotation planning. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide updates on the use of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, force generation and long-term rotation plans on a regular basis during scheduled meetings or upon the request of troop-contributing or police-contributing countries in all United Nations working languages. 106. The Special Committee stresses that the timely availability of sufficiently trained and equipped uniformed and civilian personnel is a key contributor to the success of a peacekeeping operation, as mentioned by the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat, with the participation of Member States, to further explore and develop a policy on force generation and long-term rotation plans and requests a yearly briefing thereon, starting prior to the fall of 2017. 107. The Special Committee welcomes the work of Member States and the Secretariat in developing, updating and promulgating key United Nations Military
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Unit Manuals and takes note of the development of a military medical support manual, with the aim of standardizing and enhancing the capability of peacekeeping missions, and emphasizes the need for its immediate completion and dissemination. The Special Committee looks forward to the implementation, validation and operationalization of the United Nations Military Unit Manuals by troop- contributing and police-contributing countries and encourages the Secretariat to continue this work in close cooperation with Member States, in particular troop - contributing and police-contributing countries, to validate and implement the manuals. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of the development of training packages to support their effective implementation and validation. The Special Committee acknowledges that the United Nations Military Unit Manuals provide a framework for evaluation and notes the promulgation of the standard operating procedures for the evaluation by force and sector commanders of subordinate military entities in peacekeeping operations, which provides a framework to improve the performance of subordinate units. The Special Committee notes the Operational Readiness Assurance and Performance Improvement Policy and looks forward to periodic updates on the progress made in its implementation. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to regularly update the manuals, based on lessons learned and on the progress made. 108. The Special Committee continues to recommend that the Security Council be fully advised on the availability of the operational and logistical capabilities, including the concept of operations that would be necessary for the success of a peacekeeping operation, prior to making a decision to establish a new mandate or make a major change in an existing one. The Special Committee emphasizes that, when a new level of performance is required in the field as a result of a sudden change in situation, the Secretariat should fully explain the changed requirements and consult with the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to solicit their views and concerns. The mission leadership should do the same with their respective contingents. The Special Committee concurs with the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations in its report (see A/70/95-S/2015/446) that, whenever the mandate of a mission is changed or amended, the views of the troop- contributing and police-contributing countries should be fully taken into account and that the Secretariat should ensure that these views are reflected in the operational documents, including the concept of operations and the rules of engagement. 109. The Special Committee welcomes the work of the Secretary-General to increase the number of rapidly deployable troops and police and welcomes the commitment in respect of rapidly deployable capabilities that have been pledged by Member States. The Special Committee encourages others to come forward with similar units that are deployable within 30, 60 or 90 days of a Security Council mandate. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to facilitate the process of pledges moving to higher states of readiness. In parallel, the Special Committee calls upon the United Nations, in particular the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support, to develop and strengthen plans and arrangements for the deployment of troops, police and civilian mission components to new or expanded peacekeeping operations, including: (a) pre-identification and rapid recruitment and deployment of trained and ready military, police and civilian components; (b) rapid airlift of personnel and equipment; (c) rapid enabling support, including engineering for airfields and base camps, security and medical evacuation, to support stand-up; (d) sustainment (for example, food, water and fuel for the deployed units in the initial phases); and (e) rapid deployment of force headquarters and enablers. Furthermore, the Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat and the troop- and police-contributing countries to ensure that at least 8,000 troops and
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police are at level 3 of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System by the end of 2017 and that 4,000 of those are pledged at the rapid deployment level. 110. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the development of a concept and standard operating procedures for a rapidly deployable integrated civilian, military and police headquarters capacity that can be fully functional within 8 to 12 weeks of the issuance of a mandate and looks forward to updates on the progress in the concept and on how communications technologies and organizational concepts can assist in the integration of civilian, military and police components, unity of action and span of control. The Special Committee requests an update thereon before the second half of each year. 111. The Special Committee stresses the importance of continuing the development of the Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis Centres and the updates to and reviews of policy and guidelines on these centres and encourages that ongoing training efforts organized by the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre be continued. The Special Committee notes that some field missions continue to experience challenges to the effective operation of the Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis Centres. In this regard, the Special Committee continues to emphasize the importance of recruiting appropriately qualified personnel and delivering training to the staff of the Centres to ensure maximum effect and to encourage continuity at post. The Special Committee reaffirms the need for all mission components to ensure that information is shared with the Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis Centres in a timely fashion and that the Centres make their product available to mission senior leadership, and United Nations Headquarters when so requested, with minimal delay, with the objective of ensuring unity of understanding. In order to avoid duplication, the Special Committee recognizes the need for the further review and streamlining of the reporting obligations of field missions. The Special Committee requests an update on the Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis on a yearly basis before the second half of each year. 112. The Special Committee stresses the importance of ensuring effective command and control in peacekeeping operations. In this context, the Special Committee encourages dialogue among Member States, the Secretariat and missions on steps to strengthen the understanding of command and control architecture and its application. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to further improve this architecture to enable greater clarity in the delineation of responsibility between various components, especially for the command and control of military enablers, looks forward to the results of the ongoing review of the policy on authority, command and control in United Nations peacekeeping operations and requests an update on the results of the review before its next substantive session. 113. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to ensure that the introduction and use of new technologies in peacekeeping operations are field-focused, reliable, cost-effective and driven by practical needs of end users on the ground. The Special Committee takes note of the ongoing work of the Secretariat in the implementation of a strategy to enhance a more integrated use of technologies for the purposes of increasing safety and security, improving situational awareness, enhancing field support and facilitating substantive mandate implementation, and requests the Secretariat to continue to keep Member States informed. The Special Committee recalls that the introduction and use of new technologies should be implemented with transparency and in consultation with Member States, as appropriate. In this regard, the Special Committee also recalls the Organization’s commitment to privacy, confidentiality, transparency and respect for State sovereignty.
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114. The Special Committee invites the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to anticipate and define a minimum level of military capability requirements, where appropriate, with the support of Member States, consistent with the safety and security challenges faced by United Nations personnel in the mission area of operations. The Special Committee requests a briefing on peacekeeping operation capabilities prior to the next substantive session, with a focus on the safety and security challenges met by United Nations staff in the mission area of operations.
2. Military capacities
115. The Special Committee notes with concern the gap between peacekeeping mandates and the enabling assets available to missions and recognizes that existing shortages must be overcome in order for the increasingly complex mandated tasks to be properly carried out. In this regard, the Special Committee notes that capability gaps constitute a critical issue, which can be dealt with on multiple fronts and in a coherent manner. The Special Committee also notes that it, along with other relevant entities and United Nations mechanisms, such as the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment and bilateral and triangular cooperation, all have their roles to play in this effort. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to ensure cohesion in the capability- driven approach and to support different initiatives, including the agreed use of modern technology consistent with the basic principles of peacekeeping in order to enhance, among other things, situational awareness, protection of civilians and force protection. 116. The Special Committee welcomes the pledges made by Member States at the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping, held in New York on 28 September 2015, which will help to address the gap between peacekeeping mandates and enabling assets in current and future peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee notes with concern the negative impact that the absence of critical assets, including military helicopters, is having on the mobility of personnel and, as a result, on the ability of the missions to successfully carry out their mandates. The Special Committee notes the ongoing development of requirements for standby units for a range of capabilities. The Special Committee encourages Member States to register their pledges with the new Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System and requests the Secretariat to follow through with these pledges in order to address the capability shortfalls. 117. While noting the report of the Secretary-General on the administrative and safety arrangements relating to the management of military utility helicopters in peacekeeping operations (A/64/768), the Special Committee recognizes the continuing shortfall in the availability of military helicopters, as well as utilization rate issues relating to military helicopters in peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee acknowledges the critical contribution that military aviation makes to the operational effectiveness and safety and security of peacekeepers. The Special Committee takes note of the release of the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Military Aviation Unit Manual and notes the Secretariat’s ongoing review of issues relating to command and control of military enabling assets, and requests that this review include air-ground integration and the differentiation of requirements for each unit depending on their use in specific contexts, such as in maritime aviation, in consultation with troop-contributing countries. The Special Committee expresses concern at the lack of progress in addressing these complex challenges and the impact that they are having on the ability of missions to fulfil their mandates, as well as potential risks posed to the safety and security of peacekeepers. The Special Committee requests an update on progress in this regard prior to its next substantive session.
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118. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to work in close cooperation with Member States to identify all factors that may cause delays or prevent troop-contributing countries from contributing military helicopters and that affect utilization rates or the most effective use of these assets in missions, in order to improve the supply of military helicopters to peacekeeping missions. Areas to consider in taking these steps should include reimbursement rates, contractual matters, utilization arrangements, force-generation planning, command and control arrangements and associated availability arrangements and troop-contributing country capabilities. The Special Committee requests that periodic briefings on progress in this regard be conducted and that recommendations be presented on a regular basis, including well in advance of its next substantive session. 119. The Special Committee recommends that troop-contributing countries be advised on the operational and logistical capabilities deemed necessary for the success of a peacekeeping operation, which should have clear and credible mandates matched with appropriate resources. The Special Committee notes the issuance of the report on uniformed capability requirements for United Nations peacekeeping produced by the Secretariat (see para. 105 above). This process, aimed at identifying and communicating critical and emerging requirements in the missions, should improve the effectiveness of the uniformed capability requirements for United Nations peacekeeping missions and their utility for the Secretariat and Member States. In this context, the Special Committee requests regular updates by the Secretariat through the quarterly publication and periodic briefing on the comprehensive uniformed capability requirements for United Nations peacekeeping missions and on the impact of existing gaps on all mandates. The Special Committee recognizes that existing gaps should be overcome in order to enable peacekeeping missions to effectively carry out their increasingly complex mandates. 120. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to play a significant role in improving coordination among the capacity-building efforts of various regional, multilateral and bilateral actors directed towards establishing long - term and stronger relationships with current or potential troop-contributing countries, including through developing outreach strategies. The Special Committee notes the potential role for the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell in this regard. The Special Committee takes note of the existing gaps in force generation capacity, especially during mission start-up and rapid response, and the introduction of the new United Nations Peacekeeping Capabilities Readiness System, and requests the Secretariat to continue its implementation of the System, in consultation with all Member States. The Special Committee requests a progress report and briefing on an evaluation of the new System in advance of its next substantive session. 121. The Special Committee notes the continued efforts by the Secretariat to enhance inter-mission cooperation and recognizes that such cooperation can provide a timely response to critically needed capacity as an interim, short-term measure. The Special Committee emphasizes that inter-mission cooperation should not hinder the capacity of peacekeeping operations to fully implement their mandates and should abide by the rules set by the General Assembly and by the memorandums of understanding that have been concluded between the United Nations and the contributing countries. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat, in consultation with troop-contributing countries, to continue to assess the practice of inter-mission cooperation, including recent experiences and lessons learned, and to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of this practice, with a view to streamlining standing operating procedures and improving the effectiveness of such cooperation. In this regard, the Special Committee requests a briefing before its next substantive session.
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122. The Special Committee continues to emphasize the need to expand the base of troop-contributing countries to encompass new contributors, while retaining the current and established ones and continuing to place effectiveness and professionalism at the core of peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee takes note of the efforts of the newly established Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell concerning early and continuous engagement with Member States to strengthen information-sharing and to facilitate the provision of enabling capabilities through multilateral and/or bilateral arrangements on the basis of, but not limited to, the pledges announced by Member States during the 2015 Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to build on these initiatives as a means of encouraging Member States to develop mutually beneficial cooperation agreements to enlarge the base of troop-contributing countries, including through other Member States, in order to overcome shortfalls in both contingent-owned equipment and sustainability faced by some troop- contributing countries, and in this way to enhance cooperation that would facilitate the enlargement of the base of troop-contributing countries, in accordance with United Nations standards. 123. The Special Committee takes note of the fact that decisions were taken by consensus in 2014 by the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment, but that agreement was not reached on all issues, including capabilities. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of effective and transparent inspections of contingent-owned equipment and recommends that the holdings of contingent- owned equipment be regularly reviewed to reflect mission requirements. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to conduct regular verification inspections of equipment and resources provided by the United Nations and recommends to the Secretariat a briefing on the issue before the next meeting of the Working Group. 124. To facilitate effective force generation, the timely deployment of peacekeeping units and reimbursement of expenses to troop-contributing countries, the Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to recognize the multiplicity of equipment and consult with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to address potential issues relating to contingent-owned equipment during negotiations on memorandums of understanding. 125. The Special Committee stresses the importance of timely mission start-up and acknowledges the need for the rapid deployment of military enablers. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the rapid deployment level of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System and requests the Secretariat to continue to further explore effective measures to improve rapid deployment, including through the operationalization of the System.
3. United Nations police capacities
126. The Special Committee underlines that international policing is a critical component of and plays an important role in United Nations peacekeeping operations, often requiring police peacekeepers to provide interim security, maintain public order, protect civilians and/or help to build or rebuild the host nation’s criminal justice system through capacity-building. Policing can contribute to prevention and resolution of conflict, and the Special Committee recognizes the importance of policing, where mandated, in peacebuilding, sustaining peace and reconciliation. The Special Committee further underlines the critical importance of fully integrating police planning into the overall mission planning process and encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations planners to continue to constructively engage with the Police Division. The Special Committee notes that the nature of international policing tasks and the requirements to effectively operate
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in modern peacekeeping environments are increasingly complex and stresses that United Nations policing mandates should be both strategic and realistic, as well as appropriately resourced to best meet these requirements. The Special Committee emphasizes the need for United Nations police, military and civilian personnel to have distinct roles within an integrated approach to peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee commends the developments in United Nations policing that have occurred in recent years. The Special Committee notes all relevant United Nations resolutions on policing; the 2014 Policy on United Nations Police in Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions; the recommendations related to policing in the report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peacekeeping Operations; the first United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit, in 2016; and the report of the Secretary-General on United Nations policing (S/2016/952), including its reference to the external review of the functions, structure and capacity of the Police Division, bearing in mind the need for sustained dialogue between the Secretariat and Member States to continue to improve United Nations policing. 127. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to review as necessary and address the functions, structure and capacity of the Police Division in a transparent, inclusive and responsible manner and requests a comprehensive briefing before the end of the next substantive session. 128. The Special Committee recognizes that Member States often function on different policing models, making efforts to ensure a unified policing approach a particular challenge in United Nations field operations. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the development of the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping as a doctrinal foundation for United Nations policing and the finalization of the Framework’s four guidelines on capacit y- building and development, police command, police operations and police administration. The Special Committee calls for swift completion and implementation of the detailed manuals and related training materials, requests the Police Division to expedite this next phase and stresses the importance of the rapid implementation of the framework in missions. The Special Committee encourages the Police Division to share the results with regional organizations. The Special Committee requests an update before the next substantive session. 129. The Special Committee welcomes the increased dialogue among Member States, the Secretariat and United Nations peacekeeping operations, including briefings by heads of police components to the Security Council as well as the first United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit. The Special Committee encourages the Police Division to continue to strengthen the interactive dialogue with Member States and provide comprehensive quarterly briefings. 130. The Special Committee recognizes the need for, and the challenges faced in, recruiting qualified personnel for police components of United Nations peacekeeping operations and notes the recent recruitment efforts and initiatives to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the selection and deployment of qualified police personnel with the requisite skills, including the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit, the consolidation of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, the use of the senior leadership roster, the specialized police teams approach, the deployment of civilian experts, the expansion of the human resources management system and increased outreach through the Division website. In this regard, the Special Committee emphasizes the need to ensure that key leadership positions in the Secretariat and in the field missions are based on merit, taking into account as wide a geographic distribution as possible. The Special Committee looks forward to the results of the upcoming audit of the selection and recruitment process and requests a briefing before the end of 2017.
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131. The Special Committee takes note of the development of the Standing Police Capacity in order to respond quickly to the needs of missions in the field. The Special Committee takes note of the utilization of the Standing Police Capacity and its increasing coordination in the fields of training and planning for mission support. The Special Committee requests the Police Division to continue to examine the role of the Standing Police Capacity and identify areas where it can support Police Division activity when not deployed. The Special Committee requests a briefing on the subject by the end of 2017. 132. The Special Committee emphasizes the need for, and the challenges faced in, recruiting qualified personnel for police components of United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to increase the timeliness, effectiveness and transparency of the evaluations and candidate selection procedures, as well as provide guidance and continue to address existing gaps, in close consultation with police-contributing countries. The Special Committee is of the view that the police should be matched with positions that make the best use of their specific areas of expertise, includin g the need for identification of the qualifications needed to meet specific mission requirements, and recognizes the continued efforts of Member States to nominate qualified personnel. To this end, the Special Committee notes the call for specialized police teams and encourages the Secretariat, in cooperation with Member States, to develop a specific specialized police team policy that clearly defines the use of these teams and sets standards for their deployment. 133. Recognizing the significantly increased complexity of peacekeeping operations, the Special Committee calls upon the Police Division to ensure that all United Nations police personnel meet all requirements with regard to predeployment training, equipment and skills for United Nations personnel deployed to United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee recalls the importance of having United Nations police officers who are able to communicate with the local population. The Special Committee recalls the responsibility of Member States to ensure that police personnel deployed in United Nations peacekeeping operations respect human rights, including through training on protection of civilians, child protection, sexual violence in armed conflict and gender-based violence and according to United Nations standards. 134. The Special Committee notes a variety of police-related training activities, in particular the revised core predeployment training materials, a series of training-the- trainers courses for formed police units, qualification programmes for the assessment of the operational capability of formed police units, and the increased number of United Nations-recognized predeployment training programmes. The Special Committee urges the Secretariat to develop and provide, in cooperatio n with Member States and with donor support, a dedicated United Nations police commander’s course for future United Nations police core leadership personnel without delay. 135. The Special Committee underlines the critical role that formed police units play in peacekeeping operations, providing support to United Nations operations and ensuring the safety and security of United Nations personnel and missions, in particular in public-order management and the protection of civilians. The Special Committee requests the Police Division to continue to examine the role of formed police units and identify areas where it can better support mission tasks. Noting the increasing demand for formed police units, the Special Committee emphasizes the importance of transparency in the nomination/selection/repatriation system of the formed police units, requests a briefing before the end of 2017 on the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System for new contributors and notes the necessity of aligning the tasks assigned to these units with mission-mandated tasks. The Special
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Committee acknowledges the ongoing efforts involving cooperation between the Secretariat and Member States to ensure the adequate equipping of formed police units, their personnel training and readiness for rapid deployment when needed, which include, among other things, the revision of the standard operating procedure on the assessment of the operational capability of formed police units for service in United Nations peacekeeping operations. 136. The Special Committee encourages the strengthening of efforts to increase the participation of female police officers in United Nations peacekeeping operations, especially as individual police officers, thereby contributing to the effectiveness of relevant mandate implementation. The benefits and value of women police officers in all aspects of United Nations policing, and particularly in United Nations missions in developing countries, is paramount, and gender sensitivity is critical to achieving mandate goals. The Special Committee also encourages the Police Division to work with Member States in order to attract more women and to continue to implement initiatives to attract more women police and, in particular, at a senior level, based on merit and in as wide a geographic distribution as possible. The Special Committee also emphasizes continued gender mainstreaming throughout peacekeeping operations. 137. The Special Committee notes the value of cooperation among United Nations field missions, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in the area of capacity-building of host State police, including on cross-border cooperation. The Special Committee encourages coordination and cooperation on policing issues among the United Nations Secretariat, INTERPOL and regional organizations, including through training, the sharing and exchange of relevant information, thematic expertise and operational support, as appropriate. The Special Committee recognizes the growing need to build institutional police capacity in conflict and post-conflict environments and notes the ongoing work undertaken by Member States, INTERPOL and the Secretariat. In this regard, the Committee emphasizes that the process should be carried out in consultation with and driven by Member States. The Special Committee notes the progress in building the capabilities of host States to address transnational organized crime and requests a briefing before the end of 2017. 138. The Special Committee requests a briefing from the Secretariat on the contribution of the Police Division in the Global Focal Point for Police, Justice and Corrections Areas in the Rule of Law in Post-conflict and other Crisis Situations before the next substantive session. 139. The Special Committee requests a briefing by the Secretariat regarding the improvement of United Nations police capacity, including the prioritization of tasks. The Special Committee also encourages the Secretariat to consult with Member States on the matter.
4. Doctrine and terminology
140. The Special Committee continues to recognize that peacekeeping operations have become more complex and, as such, a common understanding of terminology is required in order to promote common approaches and cooperation. The Special Committee believes that further work on documents relating to United Nations peacekeeping should take due account of the views of Member States and be the subject of a thorough and comprehensive consideration by the Special Committee. 141. The Special Committee emphasizes and reiterates the importance of consistency in the use of its agreed peacekeeping terminology, and in this regard underlines that any change to agreed terminology should be made through the Special Committee.
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142. The Special Committee underscores that in order to achieve the objective of sustainable peace, United Nations peacekeeping operations should be accompanied by a parallel and inclusive peace process that is well planned and carefully designed, supported by the consent and adherence of the parties concerned, with clearly defined and achievable mandates, as well as well-established exit strategies.
G. Strategies for complex peacekeeping operations
1. General
143. The Special Committee notes that the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2086 (2013) on United Nations peacekeeping operations and stresses the need for the Secretariat to further engage with Member States, in particular troop - contributing and police-contributing countries, on all matters relating to peacekeeping operations. 144. The Special Committee takes note of the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (A/70/95-S/2015/446) and the report of the Secretary- General on the implementation of the Panel’s recommendations (A/70/357- S/2015/682). The Special Committee also takes note of the high-level review of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the report of the Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture (A/69/968-S/2015/490) and encourages coherence, synergies and complementarities among the ongoing reviews of the United Nations peace and security architecture. In this regard, the Special Committee, while recalling General Assembly resolution 70/6, requests the Secretary-General to implement appropriate reforms relating to peacekeeping emanating from the review processes in close consultation with Member States and due consideration by the relevant bodies, in accordance with established procedures and in compliance with their respective purview. The Special Committee also requests the Secretary-General to provide regular briefings to Member States on the implementation process in advance of its next substantive session. 145. The Special Committee stresses that peacekeeping operations are essentially political tools that should be designed and deployed as part of a broader strategy in support of viable political processes and solutions on the ground. In this regard, the United Nations should lead or play a leading role. The Special Committee supports the call by the Secretary-General for a renewed focus on the primacy of politics, prevention and mediation, as well as on the need for a stronger and more inclusive peace and security partnership and for a more field-focused, people-centred and coherent approach by the United Nations. 146. The Special Committee reiterates that there is no one-size-fits-all model for multidimensional peacekeeping operations and that each mission should take into account the needs of the country concerned. In this regard, such needs should be ascertained at the earliest possible stages of mission planning and reviewed through consultation with national authorities and other relevant stakeholders. 147. The Special Committee recognizes the need to refine the integrated assessment and planning of peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to continue to enhance its strategic mission analysis of the root causes and dynamics of conflict to support the formulation of strategy and policy, providing the basis for closely integrated and realistic planning between military and other elements of the mission and the United Nations country team. 148. The Special Committee stresses that lasting progress in strengthening security, national reconciliation, the rule of law, human rights and sustainable development
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needs to occur in parallel, given the interconnected nature of these challenges in countries emerging from conflict. 149. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of selecting the right leaders and ensuring that they have the support necessary to provide political direction and executive management of often large and complex peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the selection and appointment of senior leadership is reinforced through the consistent application of a defined and merit-based selection process; to support the promotion of serving women staff to senior leadership roles; and to broaden the geographic representation of senior mission leaders. 150. The Special Committee recognizes the benefits of the implementation of prioritized and sequenced mandates, based on a comprehensive analysis and a political strategy. The Special Committee encourages the Secretary-General to strengthen his engagement and reporting to the Security Council by emphasizing enhanced analysis and planning, including on safety and security, so as to facilitate the Council’s prioritization process. 151. The Special Committee, recalling the statement by the President of the Security Council of 19 January 2015 (S/PRST/2015/3), notes that successful implementation of the many tasks that peacekeeping operations could be mandated to undertake in the areas of security sector reform, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of civilians requires an understanding of and action based on a perspective that takes into account the close interlinkage between security and development. 152. The Special Committee stresses that peacekeeping operations need to be complemented with activities aimed at effectively improving the living conditions of the affected populations, including the quick implementation of highly effective and visible projects that help to create jobs and deliver basic social services in the post-conflict phase. Such activities need to be carried out as part of a cohesive mission strategy to engage communities, in full acknowledgement of the primary responsibility of the Governments of the host countries to provide for their citizens, and must take care not to undermine efforts aimed at building the capacity of host Governments to fulfil this role. The Special Committee underlines that planning for mission transition should be undertaken in consultation with the host country, including taking into consideration ways to minimize the potential socioeconomic impacts of the mission’s departure. 153. The Special Committee stresses that the United Nations system, including the Peacebuilding Commission and the international community, in particular donor countries, in cooperation with national authorities, should develop and engage in appropriate coordination mechanisms that focus on immediate needs and long-term reconstruction and poverty reduction. The Special Committee recognizes that better coordination among peacekeeping operations, the Peacebuilding Commission, where relevant, United Nations country teams and the various development actors is of paramount importance in ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of critical peacebuilding tasks and in addressing urgent development needs. 154. The Special Committee underlines that establishing security, strengthening the rule of law, restoring critical infrastructure, revitalizing the economy and creating jobs, restarting basic services and building national capacity constitute crucial elements for the long-term development of post-conflict societies and for generating a sustainable peace, including for women and children. 155. The Special Committee recognizes the need for more people-centred peacekeeping, including through local-level analysis and planning that draws on
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more strategic engagement with communities and an understanding of local perceptions and priorities. In this regard, the Special Committee, while taking note of the work of the community liaison assistants, recognizes the important role of civil affairs officers in United Nations peacekeeping operations, including through cross-mission representation monitoring and facilitation at the local level and support for confidence-building, conflict management and reconciliation, and the restoration and extension of State authority. The Special Committee notes that the successful implementation of many peacekeeping mandates requires a political solution to the conflict through consistent engagement with parties to the conflict, the host Government, civil society and the local population and stresses that the inclusion of local staff in civil affairs components has been important. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue and improve ongoing efforts to support their work and the effectiveness of civil affairs officers and requests that it be briefed on progress in this area before its next substantive session. 156. The Special Committee stresses the need to strengthen coordination among the mission, the United Nations country team and other United Nations bodies, including in addressing unexpected emergencies, such as natural and man-made disasters. 157. The Special Committee notes that effective mission-wide communication strategies can enable peacekeeping operations to build trust with local communities, manage expectations, protect the safety and security of United Nations personnel and improve awareness of the work and contributions of United Nations personnel in complex and challenging environments. The Special Committee in this regard requests the Secretariat to provide, prior to its 2018 substantive session, an overview of best practices and lessons learned on the use of broad-based strategic communication strategies in United Nations peacekeeping missions. 158. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat and encourages Member States, in particular those represented on the governance structures of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, to promote coherence where United Nations peacekeeping operations are deployed alongside United Nations country teams. 159. The Special Committee welcomes the important work done by peacekeeping missions in support of the urgent needs of the countries where they operate and encourages the missions, within their mandates, to make full use of all existing means and capabilities.
2. Peacebuilding issues and the Peacebuilding Commission
160. The Special Committee notes General Assembly resolutions 60/180 of 20 December 2005, 65/7 of 29 October 2010, 70/1 of 25 September 2015 and 70/262 of 27 April 2016 and Security Council resolutions 1645 (2005) of 20 December 2005, 1947 (2010) of 29 October 2010, 2086 (2013) of 21 January 2013 and 2282 (2016) of 27 April 2016, as well as the statements by the President of the Security Council of 29 December 1998 (S/PRST/1998/38), 20 February 2001 (S/PRST/2001/5), 22 July 2009 (S/PRST/2009/23), 21 January 2011 (S/PRST/2011/2), 11 February 2011 (S/PRST/2011/4), 20 December 2012 (S/PRST/2012/29), 14 January 2015 (S/PRST/2015/2) and 28 July 2016 (S/PRST/2016/12). 161. The Special Committee welcomes General Assembly resolution 70/262 and Security Council resolution 2282 (2016), in which, inter alia, it is recognized that sustaining peace, as drawn from the report of the Advisory Group of Experts on the 2015 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture, should be broadly understood as a goal and a process to build a common vision of a society, ensuring that the needs of all segments of the population are taken into account, which
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encompasses activities aimed at preventing the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of conflict, addressing root causes, assisting parties to conflict to end hostilities, ensuring national reconciliation and moving towards recovery, reconstruction and development, as well as a shared task and responsibility that needs to be fulfilled by the Government and all other national stakeholders, and should flow through all three pillars of the United Nations engagement at all stages of conflict, and in all its dimensions, and needs sustained international attention and assistance. 162. The Special Committee reaffirms the primary responsibility of national Governments and authorities in identifying, driving and directing priorities, strategies and activities for sustaining peace, and emphasizes in this regard that inclusivity is key to advancing national peacebuilding processes and objectives in order to ensure that the needs of all segments of society are taken into account. 163. The Special Committee reaffirms the importance of national ownership and leadership in peacebuilding, whereby the responsibility for sustaining peace is broadly shared by the Government and all national stakeholders, which is the fundamental principle with which international engagement should be aligned. In this regard, the Special Committee underlines the importance of inclusivity, dialogue, information-sharing and cooperation between countries affected by conflict and takes note of steps that they have taken to strengthen national ownership and improve the quality of international support. The Special Committee underlines the need to formulate peacebuilding strategies and programmes that build upon host-country strategies and stresses the important role that the United Nations can play in helping national authorities to develop coherent national peacebuilding objectives and strategies, as well as in helping to mobilize international support for them. 164. The Special Committee recognizes the contribution of peacekeeping operations to a comprehensive strategy for peacebuilding and sustaining peace and notes with appreciation the contributions that peacekeepers and peacekeeping missions make to peacebuilding. 165. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of adequately resourcing the peacebuilding components of relevant United Nations peacekeeping operations, including during mission transitions and drawdown, to support stability and continuity of peacebuilding activities. 166. The Special Committee takes note of the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (A/70/95-S/2015/446) and the report of the Secretary- General on the implementation of the recommendations of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations” (A/70/357-S/2015/682) and recognizes the emphasis that the reports place on sustaining peace. 167. The Special Committee welcomes Security Council resolution 2086 (2013) with its particular focus on multidimensional peacekeeping as an important contribution to the pursuit of a comprehensive, coherent and integrated approach to peacekeeping and peacebuilding in order to achieve sustainable peace and development. 168. The Special Committee reaffirms the need for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to plan and conduct United Nations peacekeeping activities so as to facilitate, in coordination with the host Government, the United Nations country team and relevant national, regional and international actors, peacebuilding and sustaining peace, prevent relapse into armed conflict, and progress towards sustainable development.
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169. The Special Committee takes note of the endorsement by the Secretary- General of the Policy on Integrated Assessment and Planning and endorses the Integrated Assessment and Planning Handbook issued in 2013. The Special Committee encourages the United Nations to speed up the implementation of these guidelines. The Special Committee looks forward to an update before the summer of 2017 on the policy, which was scheduled to be updated no later than 1 March 2015. In this regard, the Special Committee underlines the importance of an effective coordinated, integrated, coherent and holistic approach among relevant political, security and developmental actors, within and outside of the United Nations system, consistent with their respective mandates, and the Charter of the United Nations, in the planning and implementation of peacebuilding efforts, building on their respective strengths, in all stages of conflict and post-conflict situations. Emphasis should be given to a more effective engagement with government, national and local actors. The Special Committee also emphasizes that institution-building requirements should be given full consideration, when mandated and upon the request of the host Government, in the planning process for peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities from the earliest stages of an operation and to the end of its life cycle. 170. The Special Committee recognizes that peacekeeping operations with multidimensional tasks and mandates should incorporate a peacebuilding perspective through an effective, integrated, coherent and holistic approach to peacebuilding. The Special Committee emphasizes the need for peacebuilding tasks that are incorporated into the mandates of peacekeeping missions to contribute to peacebuilding, sustaining peace and sustainable development. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the need for closer coordination among peacekeeping missions, relevant United Nations entities, the United Nations country teams and other relevant actors. 171. The Special Committee stresses the important role that multidimensional peacekeeping missions play in peacebuilding and sustaining peace, including through: (a) assisting host countries in developing critical peacebuilding priorities and strategies; (b) helping to create an enabling environment for relevant national and international actors to perform peacebuilding tasks; and (c) implementing early peacebuilding tasks themselves in order to help countries to establish the foundations of peace, reduce the risk of relapse into conflict and establish conditions for recovery and development. 172. The Special Committee stresses the importance of the explicit definition and clear identification of peacebuilding activities in the mandates of peacekeeping operations, whenever appropriate, and of their helping to lay the foundations for longer-term peacebuilding and sustaining peace and sustainable development. The Special Committee recognizes the need to support national Governments in their peacebuilding efforts in all stages of conflict and post-conflict situations and emphasizes that specific peacebuilding tasks undertaken by peacekeeping missions should be based on the priorities of the country concerned, the specific context and the comparative advantages of the peacekeeping operation relative to other actors on the ground. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the strategy of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support on the role of peacekeepers in early peacebuilding. The Special Committee looks forward to the further implementation and updating of the strategy, in close consultation with all Member States, particularly troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, the Peacebuilding Commission, field missions and all other relevant actors in the United Nations, and encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue to take stock of the
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experiences, lessons learned and needs on the ground with regard to peacekeepers in their role in early peacebuilding. 173. The Special Committee further stresses that, where appropriate and consistent with the mandate, peacekeeping efforts should be accompanied by peacebuilding activities, so as to enable capacity-building, on the basis of national ownership, to pave the way towards a seamless exit strategy, to prevent recurrence of armed conflicts and to support critical tasks in order to achieve sustainable peace. The Special Committee further underlines that due consideration should be given by the United Nations to the manner in which those efforts can be carried out from the early stage of United Nations engagement and continue without interruption after the departure of United Nations peacekeeping operations. 174. The Special Committee underlines the critical importance of effective integration and ongoing coordination and cooperation among the United Nations peacekeeping operation, the United Nations country team and any other relevant United Nations actors within their respective mandates so that clarity exists on the respective roles and responsibilities of each, particularly on the approach taken during transitions, for the delivery of critical peacebuilding needs, building on their respective strengths and capacities. In addition, the Special Committee emphasizes the need for progress in clarifying roles and responsibilities in the field and at Headquarters in order to ensure a more predictable and accountable response. The Special Committee urges the Secretary-General to continue efforts to clarify roles and responsibilities for critical peacebuilding tasks and requests consultations with Member States, including the host country, on the progress made in and status of these efforts. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages the strengthening, within established mandates, of coordinated action based on a clear division of labour to support institution-building. 175. The Special Committee recognizes the fundamental principle of national ownership and the importance of supporting national capacity development and institution-building, including through peacekeeping operations in accordance with their mandates, and forging South-South and triangular cooperation. 176. The Special Committee underlines the importance of the Integrated Assessment and Planning process as a mechanism designed to help to coordinate and prioritize the activities undertaken by the United Nations and the need for all actors engaged in peacekeeping and related peacebuilding efforts to coordinate closely, in particular with host countries. The Special Committee encourages relevant departments within the Secretariat to cooperate in providing the Special Committee, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, and the Peacebuilding Commission, when appropriate, as well as other key stakeholders, with an early assessment of peacebuilding challenges in peacekeeping missions, including an assessment of capabilities, force and personnel generation and logistical resource requirements, in order to coordinate and prioritize peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities, as applicable, in mandated missions. The Special Committee requests a briefing from the Secretariat on the implementation of the policy at its next substantive session. 177. The Special Committee encourages the participation of the host country and other relevant stakeholders in open and more frequent consultation processes, with a view to improving the delivery of peacebuilding tasks in the field. 178. The Special Committee reiterates that support provided to countries emerging from conflict requires a focus on ensuring that their Governments have the capacities that they require to reduce the risk of relapse into conflict and to progress towards peace and sustainable development. The Special Committee takes note of
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the final report of the Secretary-General on civilian capacities in the immediate aftermath of conflict (A/68/696-S/2014/5 and Corr.1). 179. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of sustained and predictable financing for peacebuilding and notes the potential for further cooperation between the United Nations and international financial institutions in this regard. 180. The Special Committee expresses that illicit financial flows have an adverse impact on domestic resource mobilization and on the sustainability of public finances. The activities that underlie illicit financial flows, such as corruption, embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, safe havens that create incentives for the transfer abroad of stolen assets, money-laundering and illegal exploitation of natural resources, are also detrimental to development. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of working together, including through increased international cooperation, to stem corruption and identify, freeze and recover stolen assets and return them to their countries of origin, in a manner consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption. 181. The Special Committee encourages national Governments, the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations to broaden and deepen the pool of civilian expertise for peacebuilding in all stages of conflict and post-conflict situations, including from countries with relevant experience in peacebuilding or democratic transition, giving particular attention to mobilizing capacities from developing countries and of women and youth as vital to the success of United Nations peacebuilding endeavours. The Special Committee calls upon the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue to draw upon available capacities, including from the Governments of Member States, through the government-provided personnel modality and through existing rosters of civilian experts, including within the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, at the request of the host State and in close coordination with existing host States’ capabilities, with a view to building national capacities. 182. The Special Committee reaffirms the importance of conflict prevention as part of peacebuilding and sustaining peace and underscores the need for enhanced capacity and core capabilities of the Secretariat for conflict prevention. The Special Committee looks forward to an update before its next session in this regard. 183. The Special Committee stresses the need to promote coordination, cooperation and coherence and to avoid the duplication of efforts by existing United Nations system structures in the implementation of peacebuilding tasks and that each entity of the United Nations system, especially designated Secretariat departments and agencies, funds and programmes involved in peacebuilding and sustaining peace, should act within their mandates and in accordance with the requirements of their governance structures. 184. The Special Committee recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, drawing on the work of relevant United Nations bodies and entities such as the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and their growing links with regional and subregional organizations and international financial institutions, and, taking into consideration their comparative advantages, explore partnership opportunities that support the mandated peacebuilding tasks of peacekeeping operations. 185. The Special Committee underlines the role of the Peacebuilding Commission as outlined by the General Assembly in its resolutions 60/180 and 70/262. The Special Committee takes note of the role that the Peacebuilding Support Office should continue to play in promoting greater coherence and synergies among the different parts of the United Nations system and other relevant actors outside the
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system. The Special Committee notes the efforts undertaken by the Peacebuilding Commission, with the support of the Peacebuilding Support Office, to strengthen partnerships at all stages of conflict and post-conflict situations with international financial institutions, as well as regional arrangements. 186. The Special Committee underlines the importance of close collaboration between the Peacebuilding Commission and peacekeeping operations in helping to support the delivery of their respective mandates and in helping to contribute to a smooth transition from a United Nations peacekeeping operation. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the continued interaction between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, including the provision of timely advice to support the Council’s deliberations on mandated peacebuilding tasks relating to countries on the agenda of the Commission, where applicable, upon the request of the Council, emphasizing that these tasks should respond to nationally identified priorities and should be focused on developing national capacities. 187. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of strong coordination, coherence and cooperation between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1645 (2005) of 20 December 2005, and in this regard notes the intention of the Council to regularly request, deliberate and draw upon the specific, strategic and targeted advice of the Peacebuilding Commission, including to assist with the longer-term perspective required for sustaining peace being reflected in the formation, review and drawdown of peacekeeping operations. 188. The Special Committee recalls the statement by the President of the Security Council of 12 February 2010 (S/PRST/2010/2) and notes the efforts of the Council to improve its practices in order to ensure successful and peaceful transitions from peacekeeping operations to other configurations of a United Nations presence. The Special Committee takes note of the issuance of the policy on United Nations transitions in the context of mission drawdown or withdrawal, which includes the five key principles of early planning, United Nations integration, national ownership, national capacity development and communication. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of efforts to collect lessons learned and of the Secretary-General’s further clarification on how the lessons learned on transitions from peacekeeping operations to other configurations of a United Nations presence can be applied in the future to contribute to sustaining peace, noting the possible role that the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes may play, as well as the opportunities and challenges on partnership with all relevant partners, while keeping an emphasis on active host-nation ownership and engagement. The Special Committee underlines that one of the most critical issues in transition processes is to ensure that United Nations country team actors, who remain on the ground beyond the departure of missions, have the means to sustain and build upon previous gains. 189. The Special Committee notes the importance of any transition process being thoroughly planned and coordinated among the host country, the Secretariat and relevant partners. Such coordination must take place well in advance of the commencement of the transition to ensure the sustainability of the progress achieved, while taking into account the host countries’ priorities and the most efficient and effective allocation of roles and responsibilities. 190. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue the ongoing efforts requested by the Committee in paragraph 112 of its 2011 report ( A/65/19) with respect to the socioeconomic impact of peacekeeping operations within mission mandates and established United Nations rules and regulations. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to provide
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information on best practices and, where appropriate, proposals, developed in consultation with Member States, in particular the troop-contributing countries, for consideration in the appropriate intergovernmental bodies, and also requests a briefing on this issue at its next substantive session. 191. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an update at its next substantive session on how the implementation of General Assembly resolution 70/262 has impacted, in practical terms, peacekeeping operations at Headquarters and in the field. The Special Committee suggests that representatives of other actors involved in peacebuilding, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, be invited to participate in this briefing. 192. The Special Committee recalls with appreciation the report of the Secretary- General on women’s participation in peacebuilding (A/65/354-S/2010/466). The Special Committee encourages measures to ensure women’s participation and the provision of gender expertise at all stages in peace processes, planning and peacebuilding and in public institutions, and to ensure women’s equal involvement in programmes created to support economic recovery, and recognizes the role and the efforts of the Secretary-General in mainstreaming a gender perspective. The Special Committee recognizes the important role that women play in peacebuilding processes as stated, inter alia, in the new gender strategy of the Peacebuilding Commission, and the fact that their active participation broadens the benefits of the peace dividends to stakeholders beyond the fighting parties and builds resilience in local communities. In this respect, the Special Committee underscores the need to increase the representation of women at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflict, and the consideration of gender-related issues in all discussions pertinent to sustaining peace. 193. The Special Committee underlines the important role that youth can play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and success of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts and recalls Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) in that context. The Special Committee also underlines the importance of considering ways to increase meaningful and inclusive participation of youth in peacebuilding efforts through creating policies, including in partnership with the private sector where relevant, that would enhance youth capacities and skills and create youth employment to actively contribute to sustaining peace.
3. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
194. The Special Committee stresses that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes should be nationally owned and drafted according to national priorities and the specific context of each country. The Special Committee stresses that these programmes remain strategically crucial components of peacekeeping operations where mandated and establish the foundation to enable longer-term peacebuilding and that their success depends upon the political will and concerted effort of all parties. The Special Committee recalls the conclusions of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (A/70/95-S/2015/446) and therefore stresses that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration must be part of an inclusive political process at the national and local levels and, in certain situations, at the bilateral or multilateral level. The Special Committee expresses concern that short-term reinsertion programming under United Nations auspices is not always accompanied and then followed by similar support and investment by national actors in long-term reintegration programmes that extend beyond the peacekeeping life cycle. This lack of national support and investment thereb y puts at
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risk gains made in the disarmament and demobilization phases. In particular, the Special Committee underlines the need for gender-responsive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, as well as the need to ensure women’s participation in the negotiation, design and implementation of such programmes. 195. The Special Committee recognizes the changing environment in which disarmament, demobilization and reintegration is taking place, as well as the changing nature of armed groups operating in these environments. The Special Committee further recognizes that while there may be a political process, there may not be an existing peace or political agreement upon which a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme can be based. In such contexts, these programmes are integral to, and should be discussed early on in, the political process, so that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration expertise may be incorporated into the peacekeeping operations from the outset. 196. Emphasizing the need for the balanced implementation of all components of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and the importance of enhanced coordination and integration among United Nations entities, and stressing the mutually reinforcing nature of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform processes, the Special Committee requests a comprehensive review of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration conducted by the Secretariat, to be reported to the Committee at its next substantive session. The Special Committee notes the need for the Secretariat to conduct a full revision of the Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards and commends the efforts to find innovative approaches to address the new and emerging challenges faced by peacekeeping operations. Given this context, the Special Committee stresses the need for the monitoring and evaluation of progress in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in order to improve evidence - based programmes and takes note of recent disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiatives, including the approach aimed at reducing community violence. The Special Committee notes the efforts to address the radicalization of youth, where relevant, and assist Governments in preventing recurrence, and urges carrying out further development of this approach in a balanced manner across all disarmament, demobilization and reintegration components. The Special Committee encourages further policy development to support subnational and community approaches to security and violence reduction, targeting specific groups including at-risk youth, as described in the study on second-generation disarmament, demobilization and reintegration produced by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. 197. The Special Committee recognizes the role that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes play in managing the disengagement of combatants, including disengaging elements from violent extremist groups. The Secretariat should take into account the challenges identified in the study “United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration in an Era of Violent Extremism: Is It Fit for Purpose?” produced in collaboration with the United Nations University and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. In this regard, the Special Committee also emphasizes the need to ensure the full implementation of the current Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards. 198. The Special Committee underlines the importance of building synergies between disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform from the beginning of and during the planning and implementation of peacekeeping operations. Emphasis should be placed on the proper prioritization and sequencing of these engagements.
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199. The Special Committee recalls the report of the Secretary-General on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (A/65/741) and stresses the fact that reintegration is an essential part of the entire disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the role that peacekeeping missions can play when mandated in support of national Governments, including in developing reinsertion and reintegration strategies that also incorporate innovative approaches and practices from the field. The Special Committee also notes that reintegration requires committed assistance from dedicated development actors and emphasizes the importance of multi-year programmes. The Special Committee notes that inclusive and effective demobilization, disarmament and reintegration programmes, including the transition from demobilization and disarmament to reintegration, are critical to, inter alia, the consolidation of peace and stability, as noted in the review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture (draft resolution A/70/L.43 and Security Council resolution 2282 (2016)). Therefore, the Special Committee recognizes the reinsertion and reintegration of members of armed groups as critical measures to prevent their possible return to combatants. 200. The Special Committee recognizes that the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons affects the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process and the ability of peacekeepers to provide security for themselves and civilians. The Special Committee takes note that coordination between peacekeeping missions and United Nations Groups of Experts can identify indicators, patterns and trends of trafficking in illicit small arms and light weapons that can be used in a formulation of threat assessment. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of information concerning the flow of illicit small arms and light weapons being taken into account as part of technical assessment missions and reflected in operational plans for peacekeeping missions. 201. Taking into account the lessons learned within the framework of the participation of the United Nations in regional disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, the Special Committee requests that the Secretariat be prepared to support, as appropriate, potential regional disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiatives and to coordinate with the relevant States and regional and subregional organizations. The Special Committee recognizes the steps that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has taken to support the African Union and other regional and subregional partners in developing its disarmament, demobilization and reintegration capacities and urges continuation of this partnership. 202. The Special Committee urges the proper control, disposal and management of weapons collected from ex-combatants while implementing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, conducted in an environmentally responsible and transparent manner. The Special Committee further notes the importance of weapons and ammunition management activities undertaken by peacekeeping missions with the support, as appropriate, of regional or subregional groups or the United Nations Mine Action Service. 203. The Special Committee notes the need for the greater use of existing mechanisms, such as temporary assignments between the Secretariat and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes involved in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration so as to increase the availability and timely deployment of relevant staff at critical early stages to support the design and implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. In that regard, the Special Committee takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on civilian capacities in the aftermath of conflict (A/67/312-S/2012/645 and A/68/696- A/2014/5). The Special Committee also notes the need for committed investment by
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national actors in long-term reintegration programmes, which extend beyond the peacekeeping cycle, the lack of which puts investment and gains in the disarmament and demobilization phases at risk. The Special Committee urges improved coordination and integration among United Nations entities to strengthen support, where necessary, to national Governments in the reintegration phase, especially in the transition of tasks from peacekeeping operations to the United Nations country team.
4. Security sector reform
204. The Special Committee emphasizes that security sector reform is an important aspect of multidimensional peacekeeping operations. Where peacekeeping operations are mandated, the establishment of an effective, professional and accountable security sector is one of the critical elements for laying the foundation for durable peace and development. 205. The Special Committee notes that the General Assembly has a relevant role to play in the development of an overarching United Nations approach to security sector reform. The Special Committee, in particular, through its comprehensive review and policy guidance, is able to make a significant contribution in the area of security sector reform in United Nations peacekeeping. 206. The Special Committee emphasizes that it is the prime responsibility of the State to provide security for its people and govern its security sector. In this regard, the Special Committee underlines that United Nations assistance for security sector reform through peacekeeping missions should be based on the principle of national ownership and upon the request of the host country. It is the sovereign right and primary responsibility of the country concerned to determine the national approach and priorities for security sector reform and coordinate security sector reform assistance. The Special Committee recognizes that successful, sustainable and nationally owned security sector reform requires focused efforts, dedicated resources and the concerted political will of all parties. 207. The Special Committee underlines that security sector reform must be based on the inclusive and fully participatory engagement of the widest range of interested parties, including Governments and civil society. Putting the needs of the local population first, including gender-sensitive dimensions, can be essential in achieving security sector reform objectives. The United Nations and the international community should avoid imposing external models of security sector reform and concentrate on strengthening the capacity of the host country to develop, manage and implement security sector reform, which should be flexible, adaptable and tailored to the host country concerned. 208. The Special Committee stresses that security sector reform supported by peacekeeping missions must take place within a broad framework of the rule of law and should contribute to the overall strengthening of United Nations rule of law activities. The Special Committee underlines the importance of an integrated approach, including integrated planning, and implementation and assessment to ensure consistency and coherence in the United Nations and encourages the enhancement of such coordination, both at Headquarters and in the field. In this regard, coordination on security, justice and peace needs to be considered when developing security sector reform efforts. The Special Committee therefore stresses the importance of ensuring effective integration with regard to sector-wide and component levels of United Nations support, both at Headquarters and in the field. 209. The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the efforts of the Security Sector Reform Unit since its establishment in 2009 and the work being done through its leadership of the inter-agency Security Sector Reform Task Force
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of the Secretary-General and engagement with the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group. The Special Committee also takes note of the increasing demands placed on the Security Sector Reform Unit with respect to supporting United Nations missions in the field, and in this regard encourages the Secretariat and United Nations funds, agencies and programmes to explore ways to enhance the capacity of the Unit. 210. The Special Committee recognizes the important role that the United Nations, in close cooperation with bilateral and regional arrangements, can play in the provision of technical assistance for security sector reform through peacekeeping missions where requested and in accordance with specific needs. Such assistance can be delivered in a variety of areas, including national security sector strategies, security sector legislation, security sector reviews, national security sector development plans, national dialogue on security sector reform and national management and oversight capacities, as well as national coordination bodies for security sector reform, taking into consideration other areas as requested by the host country. The Special Committee welcomes the adoption by the African Union of the policy framework on security sector reform. 211. The Special Committee takes note of the progress made in developing a United Nations approach to security sector reform in the context of peacekeeping operations and in countries emerging from conflict, as reflected in the relevant parts of the report of the Secretary-General on security sector reform (A/67/970- S/2013/480). The Special Committee encourages the efforts to enhance coherent support for national security sector reform initiatives. The Special Committee stresses the importance of developing reports in close consultation with Member States. 212. The Special Committee recognizes the continued efforts by the Security Sector Reform Unit and the inter-agency Security Sector Reform Task Force to develop United Nations system-wide integrated technical guidance notes on security sector reform. Stressing the need for regular consultations with Member States, the Special Committee continues to encourage the Secretariat to update the guidance notes and to elaborate guidance on other aspects of security sector reform and underlines the importance of the implementation of the guidance notes, including the development of training modules, on the basis of lessons learned and best practices. The Special Committee requests the Security Sector Reform Unit to provide a briefing on such guidance, as well as on its activities, at its next substantive session. 213. The Special Committee recognizes that assistance by United Nations peacekeeping operations to defence sector reform in countries emerging from conflict contributes to laying the foundation for sustainable peace and prevents a relapse into conflict. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the support currently being given to 20 Member States in the area of security sector reform, with 14 in the specific area of defence sector reform. The Special Committee reiterates that such support will be undertaken only when mandated and at the request of the host country, notes the efforts of the Security Sector Reform Unit to conduct a review of the United Nations support to defence sector reform and requests a briefing on the outcomes of the review before its next substantive session. 214. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of the United Nations in the context of peacekeeping operations in supporting national Governments, upon request, to develop security institutions that are accessible and responsive to the needs of their citizens, including women and vulnerable groups. The Special Committee recognizes the positive role that the United Nations can play in the context of peacekeeping operations in promoting gender-sensitive security sector
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reforms and supporting the development of national security sector institutions that are more responsive to women’s needs through, for example, the deployment of female peacekeeping personnel, which can be a means of encouraging more women to serve in the reformed security sector of the host Government, through the provision of gender expertise in support of security sector reform processes and the incorporation of gender perspectives into security sector reform programmes. 215. The Special Committee reaffirms its support for the development of a United Nations roster of security sector reform experts. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the support provided through the roster to Member States and peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee takes note of the efforts undertaken by the Security Sector Reform Unit to ensure that the roster adequately reflects capacities from developing countries, in particular from those regions currently underrepresented, and that it reflects a better gender balance. The Special Committee requests that the Unit provide further analysis of the performance of the United Nations roster of senior security sector reform experts at its next substantive session. 216. The Special Committee underlines the importance of security sector reform training and capacity-building, where mandated, and welcomes efforts in this regard by the Security Sector Reform Unit and numerous Member States and through international organizations. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages the Security Sector Reform Unit to continue to build partnerships with international and regional organizations and relevant centres of excellence to ensure adequate delivery of training and capacity-building for security sector reform where mandated.
5. Rule of law
217. The Special Committee emphasizes the critical importance of strengthening the rule of law in countries in conflict and emerging from conflict in order to help to stabilize the situation, extend State authority, end impunity, protect civilians, tackle the underlying causes of conflict, and build and sustain peace. The Special Committee acknowledges that success in the restoration of and respect for the rule of law depends upon the political will and concerted effort of all parties, bearing in mind the importance of national ownership in this regard. The Special Committee takes note of the declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the rule of law at the national and international levels (resolution 67/1), adopted by the Assembly on 24 September 2012, and takes note of the report of the Secretary- General submitted in follow-up to the declaration (A/68/213 and Add.1) 218. The Special Committee underlines the important role that peacekeeping operations, together with United Nations country teams, as appropriate and within their respective mandates, can play in helping national authorities, at their request, to support the initial strengthening of the host State’s rule of law institutions in a coordinated manner, including by assisting in identifying critical national rule of law priorities and developing national rule of law strategies. 219. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat and peacekeeping operations to ensure the implementation of the commitments contained in the report of the Secretary-General on women’s participation in peacebuilding (A/65/354- S/2010/466) to a United Nations approach to a rule of law that promotes women’s rights to security and justice and, in particular, to the provision of immediate support for women’s and girls’ access to justice and law enforcement institutions. 220. The Special Committee recognizes that, in order to ensure sustainable peace, it is crucial that the approach to the various rule of law components and institutions be integrated and provide balanced attention and support, including the enhancement of
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access to justice. The approach must also be relevant to each specific situation and address the needs of police, justice and corrections systems and the critical linkages among them. The Special Committee underlines the importance of peacekeeping operations and other partners in supporting the strengthening of justice and corrections structures, in conjunction with the development of police services, in order to build a coherent and comprehensive justice system that supports the ability of a State to provide critical functions in these fields. 221. The Special Committee recognizes that creating and sustaining stability in a post-conflict environment requires that the root causes of the conflict be addressed. It is imperative that national and local rule of law capacities be assessed, restored and enhanced, as appropriate, from the very beginning of a United Nations peacekeeping operation so that they may address the causes of conflict. In this regard, the Special Committee recalls the importance of respect for the rule of law as a vital contribution to building peace and justice and ending impunity, bearing in mind the need to provide adequate resources to strengthen the rule of law. The Special Committee recognizes that the recent availability of programmatic funding in mission budgets will enhance rule of law capacities in host States, respecting the prerogatives of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly in this regard. 222. The Special Committee reiterates the need for greater clarity and specificity in United Nations peacekeeping mandates on rule of law issues and requests that, where mandated, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations continue to ensure that the rule of law and transitional justice are integrated into the strategic and operational planning of peacekeeping operations from the outset, including the strategic framework as stipulated in the Policy on Integrated Assessment and Planning. Such a mandate should be fully implemented to strengthen and ensure national ownership and leadership, bearing in mind the role of civil society in this respect, while recognizing that responsibility for the restoration of and respect for the rule of law lies with Governments and relevant national actors. The Special Committee takes note of innovative approaches in recent peacekeeping mandates aimed at maintaining basic law and order and fighting impunity by strengthening national police, justice and corrections institutions to restore the rule of law. 223. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of the provision of holistic and integrated rule of law assistance to host countries from the very outset of the establishment of new peacekeeping missions. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the contribution made by the Justice and Corrections Standing Capacity, together with the Standing Police Capacity, in several peacekeeping contexts. The Special Committee notes the continued demand for assistance by the Justice and Corrections Standing Capacity and recognizes the need for strengthening its capacity, in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the United Nations. The Special Committee also notes the growing demand for government-provided operational corrections personnel in peacekeeping operations and the need for strengthening force generation capacity in this respect. The Special Committee requests a briefing paper on the impact of the justice and corrections work of peacekeeping operations, to be completed by January 2018. 224. The Special Committee recognizes the growing demand for rule of law, police, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration functions within peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee calls upon the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue to draw upon available capacities, including personnel provided by the Governments of Member States, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions, and through existing rosters of civilian experts, including within the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, at the request of the host country and in close coordination with existing host countries’
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capabilities, with a view to building national capacities. In this regard, the Special Committee emphasizes the importance of efficient, effective and flexible recruitment procedures to ensure the timely deployment of qualified personnel to missions. The Special Committee takes note of the ongoing efforts of the rapidly deployable United Nations team of experts on rule of law and sexual violence in conflict as an innovative model to support the needs of host countries, at their request, and underlines the need for this to adequately reflect the capacities from developing countries. The Special Committee requests a briefing on its activities before the end of 2017. 225. The Special Committee notes the importance of the development of guidance material for operational rule of law issues and requests the Secretariat to brief Member States whenever the development of such material is initiated and to provide regular information on progress in this regard. The Special Committee takes note of the updated Policy on Prison Support in United Nations Peace Operations and the Policy on Justice Support in United Nations Peace Operations. 226. The Special Committee recognizes the Department of Peacekeeping Operations as a lead entity, where mandated, in peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee reiterates the need to enhance cooperation and coordination among all relevant United Nations actors, including through the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group, in order to ensure a holistic and coherent United Nations approach to the rule of law and to ensure effective integration into the planning and delivery of rule of law assistance. The Special Committee urges the Secretary-General to continue efforts to clarify roles and responsibilities within the rule of law sector, based on the comparative advantages of relevant parts of the United Nations system, and requests consultations with Member States and the relevant United Nations bodies. 227. The Special Committee notes the designation of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNDP as the global focal point for police, justice and corrections areas. The Special Committee takes note that, as a result of this arrangement, joint planning and delivery of rule of law assistance by various Unite d Nations entities in peacekeeping contexts have created opportunities for greater effectiveness and efficiencies. 228. The Special Committee encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to continue to enhance the capacity of its judicial affairs and corrections personnel so as to maximize the impact of their efforts in support of national rule of law institutions. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the importance of continuing the delivery of the Rule of Law Training for Judicial Affairs Officers and the predeployment training course for government-provided corrections officers and the corresponding need for adequate resources. The Special Committee encourages the Department to continue to support the development and delivery of special ized training courses for judicial affairs and corrections officers deployed to peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee in this regard requests the Department to include in the report of the Secretary-General to the Special Committee substantive information on justice and corrections capacities and activities at Headquarters and in the field. 229. The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the activities of the Office of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions and notes that its work contributes to closer coherence and synergies among its own sections and between other United Nations actors. 230. The Special Committee notes the important steps that have been taken to increase the attention to and resources available for corrections work in peacekeeping operations, where mandated, in close cooperation with the authorities
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of the host country. Specifically, the Committee recognizes the importance of further expanding the number of countries that contribute corrections officers so as to enable the Secretariat to respond to emerging situations on the ground. 231. The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the development of the United Nations Rule of Law Indicators instrument. The Special Committee recognizes that the implementation of the indicators should be led by host countries with the support of peacekeeping operations within their mandates and as appropriate and requests periodic updates on the use of the indicators and an assessment of how they have supported national justice strategies to strengthen the rule of law and assisted rule-of-law planning and assistance in peacekeeping contexts. 232. The Special Committee takes note of the need to support justice and correction services in a timely and effective manner and of the challenges they face in post- conflict countries, including the importance of addressing the specific needs of women and children in the justice system. Bearing in mind country-specific contexts, the Special Committee also notes that missions are increasingly operating in contexts where rule of law institutions are challenged by violent extremism, terrorism and serious and organized crime. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the importance of peacekeeping operations supporting national authorities within their mandates and in these areas. The Special Committee also takes note of the work of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to support national authorities to restore or establish court and prison facilities in the immediate aftermath of conflict or in response to natural disasters, when required, and in accordance with the country’s specific context. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide additional information on its activities in this respect, in particular regarding the relevant concept and technical guidelines, as implemented, prior to its next substantive session.
6. Gender and peacekeeping
233. The Special Committee stresses the need for stronger efforts in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda in peacekeeping. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the adoption of resolution 2242 (2015) by the Security Council. The Special Committee takes note of the report of the Secretary-General of 16 September 2015 (S/2015/716) submitting the results of a global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and notes that the participation of women at all levels is key to the operational effectiveness, success and sustainability of peace processes and peacebuilding efforts. 234. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of ensuring the full and effective implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015), all relevant presidential statements and all relevant General Assembly resolutions, in particular resolutions 65/187, 66/130 and 67/144, as well as its previous resolutions adopted under the agenda item entitled “Advancement of women”. 235. The Special Committee takes note of the finalization of the Gender Forward - Looking Strategy of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support and looks forward to its full and timely implementation at Headquarters and in the field. The Special Committee emphasizes the need to receive the annual report that provides an overview of progress in the implementation of the gender strategy, taking into account the relevant provisions of the reviews on peace and security.
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236. The Special Committee is concerned that reports from the field and those that it has received do not include sex-disaggregated data. The Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to conduct training on gender-sensitive reporting and conflict analysis, in particular for planning and budget personnel and senior management. The Special Co mmittee encourages Secretariat officials, the special representatives of the Secretary-General and special envoys to routinely include in their briefings and reports to the Security Council an analysis of the differentiated impact of conflict on women and girls, as well as on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the successive resolutions within the context of peacekeeping, taking into account the specific context of each country. 237. The Special Committee welcomes the “open days” organized by several field missions in cooperation with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and all other relevant United Nations agencies. To ensure that the most can be gained from these events, the Special Committee encourages field missions to consult regularly with local communities, particularly women’s groups, to prepare for the open days. The Special Committee calls upon the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to continue to convene, on a more frequent basis, open days in field operations, wherever appropriate. 238. The Special Committee acknowledges the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding and stresses the importance of their full, effective and equal participation in all efforts to maintain and promote sustainable peace and security, including representation at decision - making bodies at all levels. In order to further progress in efforts to integrate a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support should reinforce the capacities of gender focal points appointed to the Gender Task Force and support the need for enhanced gender expertise across the two Departments. The Special Committee acknowledges the importance of the role of gender advisers in capacity-building and knowledge transfer for gender mainstreaming into peacekeeping missions. 239. The Special Committee continues to express its concern at the overall low proportion of women in all categories and at all levels of United Nations peacekeeping personnel at Headquarters and in the field, including senior managerial positions. In particular, the Special Committee expresses concern at the recent decline in the number appointments of women to senior positions and calls upon the Secretary-General to increase the proportion of senior women appointments, in accordance with existing relevant rules and regulations. In this regard, the Special Committee commends initiatives to facilitate and advance women appointments, such as the senior women talent pipeline, and urges the implementation of existing and past recommendations and the exploration of innovative solutions. The Special Committee encourages internal staff of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to conduct mentoring programmes for women staff to facilitate their promotion. The Special Committee reiterates its call upon Member States to continue to nominate more women, including for the highest positions. 240. The Special Committee, in line with Security Council resolution 2242 (2015), welcomes efforts to significantly increase the number of women in military and police components deployed to United Nations peacekeeping operations. 241. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to develop a gender- sensitive force and police generation strategy and encourages Member States to develop and implement measures designed to support the promotion of serving
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women staff to senior leadership roles, including through mentoring programmes and the recruitment of new women staff. 242. The Special Committee encourages greater cooperation between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UN-Women to ensure that missions have the policy, substantive and technical support from the Entity necessary to fully implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions so that they can deliver more gender-responsive United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee requests an update on coordination activities between the Department and UN-Women. 243. The Special Committee continues to emphasize that it is a responsibility of the senior mission leadership to ensure gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping missions. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the importance of accountability in implementing this agenda and welcomes the inclusion of gender targets as an indicator of individual performance in the compacts of special representatives and special envoys at Headquarters and in the field. The Special Committee welcomes the Secretary-General’s decision to locate the Senior Gender Adviser of United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, supported by gender expertise embedded in functional mission components requiring gender knowledge and experience, and calls for senior gender advisers and other gender officers to be speedily deployed where these posts have been created in peacekeeping missions. 244. The Special Committee reiterates its call for the enhanced implementation and promotion of gender perspectives for all personnel of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support through the inclusion of indicators in workplans and e-performance documents. The Special Committee welcomes the finalization and dissemination of the senior management checklist on gender mainstreaming by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. 245. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of integrating gender issues into all relevant training modules, including those for senior managers, and of incorporating them into the certification system. The Special Committee encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to assess and update the gender training strategy, taking into account the recent reviews. The Special Committee takes note of the mandatory online training course on gender mainstreaming for civilian staff and calls upon the Department to review and strengthen predeployment training on gender for troop and police contingents. The Special Committee requests the Department to provide it with written information on the implementation of all training initiatives supporting the implementation of a gender perspective in the context of peacekeeping operations at Headquarters and in the field. The Special Committee encourages the Department to develop training modules to enhance the ability of gender advisers and focal points to improve gender mainstreaming into missions. 246. The Special Committee encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to use modern technology, as appropriate, to facilitate the dissemination of its standardized training curriculum to peacekeeping training institutions. The Special Committee also encourages the implementation of the standardized best practices toolkit on gender and policing in peacekeeping operations and the dissemination of the existing gender training tools to troop-contributing and police- contributing countries, and encourages them to make full use of them. 247. The Special Committee recommends that the Secretariat include gender- sensitive analysis and technical expertise throughout the planning, mandate development, implementation, review, evaluation and mission drawdown processes to ensure that the needs and participation of women are integrated at each stage.
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Accordingly, the Special Committee encourages the development of specific training for planning and analysis within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. The Special Committee reiterates its call for strategic and technical assessment missions to include gender expertise in order to ensure that a gender perspective is taken into account in the planning of new missions and the review of existing ones. The Special Committee takes note of the development of guidance for transitioning missions in coordination with UN-Women and looks forward to updates on its implementation. 248. The Special Committee reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to continue the systematic inclusion in his reports on situations of which the Security Council is seized, of observations and recommendations with regard to the issue of sexual violence and the protection of women and girls. The Special Committee further emphasizes that approaches to data collection and reporting should adhere to safe and ethical practices and maintain the dignity of the victims at all times, as called for in the statement by the President of the Security Council of 23 February 2012 (S/PRST/2012/3). The Special Committee calls upon the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and all relevant field missions to continue to effectively support the operationalization of monitoring analysis reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, in close cooperation with all relevant United Nations actors, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and encourages the United Nation system, including these Special Representatives and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, to engage parties to conflict for specific, time-bound commitments, as required in Security-Council resolution 2106 (2013), and takes note of the updates on the work undertaken by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in this regard. 249. The Special Committee continues to underline the gravity of all acts of sexual and gender-based violence and stresses the importance of addressing, in a comprehensive manner, the needs of all victims of such acts. The Special Committee takes note of the Secretary-General’s decision that all countries whose armed and police forces are repeatedly listed in the annexes of his reports on children and armed conflict and on sexual violence in conflict are prohibited from participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations and urges them to take action to cease such violations and to engage with the relevant Special Representative in order to develop and implement action plans expeditiously, thereby avoiding suspension from peacekeeping operations. 250. The Special Committee recognizes that women protection advisers are critical to the operationalization and strengthening of monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements in all relevant field missions, as called for by the Security Council in its resolutions 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010) and 2106 (2013). In this regard, the Special Committee underlines the significant role of these advisers to address the full range of activities in accordance with the mission’s mandate, including advocacy and constructive engagement with all parties to the conflict and contributing to the strengthening of protection activities and building the capacity of mission personnel to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual violence in conflicts. The Special Committee requests an update on the deployment and work of women protection advisers in all relevant field missions before its next substantive session and stresses the need to support the visibility and delivery of the mandates by women protection advisers. The Special Committee calls for them to be speedily deployed where these posts have been created in peacekeeping missions and calls
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upon police, military and other components to coordinate closely with women protection advisers, gender advisers and child protection advisers within missions. 251. The Special Committee welcomes the completion of training materials for military, police and civilian peacekeeping personnel and force commanders on the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence, including training for focal points on their roles and responsibilities, and materials for predeployment and in-mission training, which now include operational guidance on protecting women and girls from sexual violence. The Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to ensure the effective use of the operational guidance and training materials on the prevention of, the protection from and response to sexual violence in conflict and requests information on the implementation and impact of the operational guidance in the field. The Special Committee urges troop- contributing countries to make use of the materials. 252. The Special Committee appreciates the ongoing efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to implement the Guidelines for Integrating a Gender Perspective into the Work of the United Nations Military in Peacekeeping Operations, in accordance with the implementation strategy, including through the existing gender advisers and the designation of military gender advisers and an associate expert on gender in the Office of Military Affairs. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the decision to deploy dedicated military gender advisers to the majority of United Nations peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee encourages the Office to review and update the Guidelines, in line with the recent reviews, and to report back to it. The Special Committee requests information from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in particular the Office of Military Affairs, on the implementation and level of compliance with the Guidelines and their impact on the delivery of peacekeeping mandates. 253. The Special Committee underlines the importance of the mandate and commends the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in carrying out her mandate, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. The Special Committee requests the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and peacekeeping missions to provide all necessary cooperation and support to the Special Representative, including through the full and timely channelling of information from the field to Headquarters, and to coordinate closely with other relevant United Nations actors, including UN -Women, in support of their respective mandates. The Special Committee renews its invitation to the Special Representative to provide it with a briefing on her work prior to its next substantive session and requests the Department to invite the Special Representative to provide briefings at mission-specific meetings organized by the Department with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, as appropriate. 254. The Special Committee reaffirms the important role played by women protection advisers in peacekeeping missions, in full compliance with their mandate given by the Security Council, and requests a written briefing before its next substantive session on the possible impact of the consolidation of protection functions on the implementation of mandated protection functions for further consideration.
7. Children and peacekeeping
255. The Special Committee recognizes the efforts undertaken by the Secretariat on the issue of children, including policy directives on mainstreaming and peacekeeping, and reaffirms General Assembly resolutions 69/157 and 70/137 and
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all previous resolutions adopted under the agenda item entitled “Promotion and protection of the rights of children” and Security Council resolutions 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014) and 2225 (2015). The Special Committee recommends the inclusion, where appropriate, of specific child protection provisions in peacekeeping mandates and encourages the deployment of child protection advisers in all relevant peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to include child protection expertise in technical assessment missions and strategic reviews of peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee reiterates the need to ensure continued collaboration among the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including through its designated focal point for child protection, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, in particular the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to maximize coherent and effective child protection by the United Nations system. 256. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in mainstreaming child protection in peacekeeping missions, in line with the policy directive on mainstreaming the protection, rights and well-being of children affected by armed conflict, and takes note of the ongoing review of the policy. The Special Committee welcomes the briefing by the Department on the impact, best practices, lessons learned and challenges in the implementation of the policy and looks forward to the Secretariat’s recommendations on strengthening child protection in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee requests a briefing on the efforts of the Secretariat in this regard. 257. The Special Committee reaffirms the important role played by child protection advisers in peacekeeping missions, in full compliance with their mandate given by the Security Council, including their advisory role to senior mission leadership on the implementation of the children and armed conflict mandate, the mainstreaming of child protection within missions and training on it for uniformed personnel, the separation of children from armed forces and armed groups, the engagement with parties to conflict for the strict purpose of ending grave violations against children and the co-leading of the Council’s monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict. The Special Committee requests a written briefing before its next substantive session on the possible impact of the consolidation of protection functions on the implementation of mandated protection functions for further consideration. 258. The Special Committee affirms the importance of continuing to ensure that all peacekeeping personnel receive adequate training on child protection and child rights in order to strengthen the protection of children in conflict and post -conflict situations. The Special Committee notes with appreciation the efforts to update training programmes and materials, all of which are critical to ensuring that there is an effective and comprehensive response, including preventive measures, with respect to child protection. The Special Committee welcomes the launch of the child protection predeployment training modules developed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary - General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF, encourages the continued development of specialized training modules on child protection for all categories of peacekeeping personnel, requests the Department to make them available and encourages troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, as well as all
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regional and national peacekeeping training centres, to make full use of them, as appropriate. 259. The Special Committee continues to underscore the important role of United Nations peacekeeping and other relevant United Nations missions, within their respective mandates, in supporting the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanisms on children and armed conflict, as mandated by Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2143 (2014) and 2225 (2015), in close consultation with the countries concerned, and appreciates the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The Special Committee requests the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and field missions to continue to provide all support necessary to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and closely collaborate with them on the monitoring and reporting mechanisms as key components of overall child protection efforts. The Special Committee recognizes the important role of relevant United Nations bodies and civil society actors in this regard. The Special Committee invites the Department to brief it on its policies regarding children associated with armed groups encountered by United Nations forces during military operations and to keep it informed on the development of standard operating procedures on the handover of such children from military to civilian authorities. 260. The Special Committee takes note of the Secretary-General’s decision that all countries whose armed and police forces are repeatedly listed in the annexes of his reports on children and armed conflict and sexual violence in conflict be prohibited from participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations and urges them to take action to cease such violations and engage with the relevant Special Representative to develop and implement action plans expeditiously, thereby avoiding suspension from peacekeeping operations.
8. Health-related issues and peacekeeping
261. The Special Committee notes with concern that several health-related issues are still among the leading causes of fatalities in the field. Today’s peacekeeping operations urgently require the Secretariat and Member States to work together to provide medical support, including medical capabilities, standards and facilities that can meet emergency needs. 262. The Special Committee emphasizes that improved medical and health care for peacekeeping operations is required and is in the interests of all personnel and contributing countries. The Special Committee notes that work is under way to issue the new edition of the United Nations Medical Support Manual, which will focus on casualty response in all field missions and a medical performance framework to improve the quality of health care and security for United Nations health -care facilities, basic first aid training and casualty evacuation and medical evacuation procedures. The Special Committee recognizes the ongoing efforts by the Secretariat, in consultation with Member States, to revise the manual and oversee such a framework for both civilian and uniformed personnel in ensuring that medical support is being adapted to the new realities and challenges facing peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee requests information on progress in this regard before the next substantive session. 263. The Special Committee recognizes that some missions have experienced challenges in consistently responding to medical emergencies and in evacuating casualties. Traditional approaches to gradually building up medical capacities are insufficient in providing rapid and immediate responses, especially during
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life-or-death situations. Timely and reliable medical evacuation and casualty evacuation should be a priority in all mission start-ups and must be maintained continuously throughout the mission, including with aeromedical evacuation teams and night flight capability. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the need to ensure swift and safe passage for injured peacekeepers. Clear capability standards should also be established for casualty evacuation and medical evacuation. The Special Committee reiterates its requests that the Department of Field Support, as a matter of priority, review its aviation and casualty evacuation guidelines and internal procedures to ensure that missions can meet international standards of casualty evacuation. 264. The Special Committee reiterates its belief that the United Nations should set the highest possible medical standards in protecting peacekeepers in the field from the effects of trauma and infectious diseases, as well as HIV/AIDS. The Special Committee continues to underscore the responsibility of troop-contributing countries to ensure appropriate medical evaluation and clearance of all United Nations personnel from national contingents, including that vaccination requirements are met, in accordance with the United Nations Medical Support Manual and the medical guidelines for peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee urges the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to strengthen their efforts to harmonize predeployment and in-country awareness programmes and to ensure the strict application of United Nations guidelines on medical clearance and medical conditions that preclude deployment. In this regard, the Special Committee recognizes the importance of training all United Nations peacekeeping personnel on medical risks in the mission area, in accordance with the guidelines provided, and recognizes the efforts undertaken by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, including through in-mission induction training and peer education, which have resulted in a decrease in the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS. 265. The Special Committee underlines the value of a standardized medical framework and the necessity of guidelines and United Nations clear minimum standards for health-care quality and safety. In that regard, the Special Committee underlines the responsibility of both the United Nations and the Member States to ensure that adequate medical facilities are in place and to regularly verify that the necessary standards are met and that medical personnel assigned in mission areas are qualified, including military physicians with knowledge regarding endemic diseases in peacekeeping host countries, to provide immediate and proper medical attention to peacekeepers with the minimum required language skills. 266. The Special Committee reiterates its requests that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support and the Medical Services Division of the Department of Management continue to provide it with an annual detailed briefing on the progress made in dealing with health-related issues in peacekeeping operations, and in this regard looks forward to receiving, in advance of its next substantive session, information on the causes and rates of disease, injuries and fatalities in the field, as well as on the status of the implementation of the system for the standardized and streamlined reporting of medical data across United Nations peacekeeping missions, which are to include, among other things, repatriation and mortality data. 267. The Special Committee welcomes the successful implementation of EarthMed in the United Nations clinics across all peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee encourages further EarthMed implementation in all medical facilities mission-wide.
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268. The Special Committee recognizes the ongoing efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and the Medical Services Division of the Department of Management to develop guidelines and policies on occupational health as one possible means of reducing illness and injuries and of enhancing the safety and well-being of peacekeeping personnel in the field. The Special Committee reiterates its request for an update and looks forward to a briefing in this regard. 269. The outbreak of the Ebola virus in the missions’ area of operation has demonstrated that such a public health crisis could generate direct and indirect effects on current peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee takes note of the measures taken to address such crises and to protect United Nations personnel in the areas affected by Ebola. The Special Committee welcomes the 2016 report of the High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises and requests the Secretariat to develop the operational lessons learned into guidelines and internal procedures to respond to public health crises in the future. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an annual briefing on the progress made. 270. The Special Committee supports the Medical Services Division and Medical Support Section in their effort to standardize critical aspects of health-care quality management and patient safety in peacekeeping missions by ensuring the implementation of United Nations-recognized standards in all medical treatment facilities of peacekeeping operations, in significant procedures of the chain of rescue and in continuity of care of a patient. United Nations-recognized standards will enable the Organization to provide high- quality, timely and responsive medical support that is highly dependable and consistent across the United Nations system. Standards will stabilize or improve the overall patient outcome and have the potential to raise the confidence of all United Nations personnel who rely on Unite d Nations medical support and deserve effective, dependable and safe health care. 271. The Special Committee notes that given that peacekeeping operations are deployed in a more complex and dangerous environment, the need for immediate treatment of wounds becomes vital. The Special Committee requests that the Medical Services Division and the Medical Support Section work with Member States to ensure that all peacekeepers receive mandatory first aid training. Further, the Medical Services Division and the Medical Support Section are requested to ensure that all deployed medical staff qualifications and competencies are current and verified prior to deployment and that they have completed the mandatory predeployment medical training. 272. The Special Committee recognizes that in addition to standards for medical facilities, there is also a need for streamlined medical protocols in order to guarantee the quality of medical support and enhance interoperability. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat as a matter of priority to develop medical protocols and requests it to provide a briefing on the progress made before the next substantive session. 273. The Special Committee underlines the importance of timely and responsive medical care, especially for peacekeepers operating in high-risk or volatile environments. This requires skilled first aid aimed at prolonging life within 10 minutes of the time of injury. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages, where appropriate, the deployment of more skilled first aiders in the field by troop- contributing and police-contributing countries and requests the Secretariat, in consultation with troop-contributing and police- contributing countries, to explore ways to meet such needs.
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274. The Special Committee acknowledges that the mental health and psychological well-being of all personnel is important not only for individual personnel, but also for the organizational resilience and productivity of peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to consider the development of a United Nations mental health strategy in consultation with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat and Member States to make all possible efforts to ensure good mental health and psychological well-being for all personnel in the predeployment, deployment and post-deployment phases. 275. The Special Committee notes that in certain situations, the Department of Field Support is required to bridge the gap between the mission mandate and the available capabilities and personnel in the mission. In this regard, the Special Committee recognizes the use of commercial medical services by the Secretariat, giving particular attention to locally recruited personnel with the requisite skills and with the consideration of the local needs, in accordance with United Nations medical standards, to address such a gap and requests a briefing on this issue prior to the 2018 substantive session.
9. Quick-impact projects
276. Recognizing the mutually reinforcing link between security and development, the Special Committee welcomes the implementation of quick-impact projects by peacekeeping operations and stresses the important contribution that they make to the successful implementation of mandates by addressing the immediate needs of local populations and building confidence in, and support for, peacekeeping missions, their mandates and the peace processes. The Special Committee recognizes that quick-impact projects play a critical role in the implementation of a comprehensive mission strategy, in strengthening the link between missions and local populations and in the accomplishment of their objectives, and that their implementation should take into account the situation and needs on the ground. 277. The Special Committee calls for the full implementation of section XVIII of General Assembly resolution 61/276, notes the policy on quick-impact projects of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support approved on 21 January 2013 and stresses that such projects are an integral part of both mission planning and the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies to meet the challenges facing complex peacekeeping operations. 278. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of coordination with humanitarian and development partners so as to prevent duplication and the overlap of activities between peacekeeping missions and humanitarian and development partners in the field. 279. The Special Committee appreciates the voluntary and additional contributions of contingents from troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in funding projects in peacekeeping missions. 280. The Special Committee reiterates its recommendation that selection procedures for quick-impact projects be made flexible and be addressed at the field level under the control of the relevant Special Representative of the Secretary- General. It emphasizes the need for these projects to be planned and managed in the most effective manner possible, in consultation with local populations, in order to ensure that their needs are met. The Special Committee stresses the need for expedited and flexible procedures for the implementation of these projects and the appropriate allocation of funds.
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281. The Special Committee welcomes the progress made by the Secretariat in revising the Policy Directive for Quick-Impact Projects, as requested in paragraph 142 of the report on its 2010 substantive session (A/64/19), taking into account all relevant aspects, and requests the Secretariat to ensure that relevant guidance provided to peacekeepers on this issue corresponds to the revised Policy Dire ctive. The Special Committee also welcomes efforts being made by the Secretariat to provide training to mission personnel involved in the management of quick-impact projects and strongly emphasizes the importance of such training in the implementation of a comprehensive mission strategy.
10. Protection of civilians and other mandated tasks
282. The Special Committee reaffirms that all mandated peacekeeping tasks are to be implemented in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter and the guiding principles of peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee recognizes that there are a range of important mandated tasks, including, but not limited to, support for the restoration and extension of State authority, support for political processes and the protection of civilians under threat, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the host Government to protect civilians. The implementation of such mandates should be an integral part of a comprehensive peace process underpinned by national ownership and involving relevant stakeholders, as well as the support of the international community. 283. The Special Committee stresses the key importance of close cooperation with national authorities in the implementation of mandated tasks, as appropriate. In this regard, the Special Committee emphasizes that priority should continue to be given to the promotion of knowledge of, respect for and observance by all States and other relevant actors, as appropriate, of their obligations under the Charter and other international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. 284. The Special Committee stresses that the implementation of mandates on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations is a whole-of-mission task that requires close cooperation among military, police and civilian components and recognizes the important role that United Nations police components can play, where mandated, in consultation with the host State and in collaboration with other components, in supporting host States to uphold their primary responsibility to protect civilians. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing on relevant developments, including the distinction of the roles and tasks of the military and police components. 285. The Special Committee stresses the importance of the effective and full implementation of mandates, including the protection of civilians, and also stresses the need for close cooperation among the Security Council, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat so as to ensure that peacekeeping mandates are well defined, realistic, achievable and linked to a wider political process. Accordingly, United Nations peacekeeping missions must be provided with all the resources necessary in a timely and efficient manner. These should include consolidated and mission-specific training, based on lessons learned and best practices from United Nations peacekeeping missions and Member States, in all related operational matters so as to enhance operational capacity. In this regard, the Special Committee requests further updates to specialized training materials for predeployment and in-mission training by the Secretariat. 286. The Special Committee stresses that the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations, when mandated, constitutes an integrated mission-wide effort, requiring close cooperation among military, police and civilian components,
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in coordination with national authorities, local communities and relevant humanitarian organizations, as appropriate, in order to create and sustain a protective environment for civilians. 287. The Special Committee underlines the relevance of unarmed strategies to protect civilians in peacekeeping operations as political instruments that can effectively protect civilians by helping to bring an end to violent conflicts, shoring up the confidence of parties in peaceful solutions and working to advance peace processes. In this regard, and taking into account the positive contributions of unarmed civilian protection, the Special Committee stresses that peacekeeping missions should make every effort to leverage the non-violent practices and capabilities of local communities to support the creation of a protective environment. 288. The Special Committee stresses the need for clear, adequate and timely assessment of the human and material resources and capabilities that are available to the missions with mandates for the protection of civilians and the ability of the mission to fully implement the mandate through a comprehensive approach. The Special Committee reaffirms that United Nations peacekeeping operations with a protection-of-civilians mandate must be provided with the resources and training necessary to carry out that task, including personnel, mobility assets and capabilities for gathering timely, reliable and actionable information on threats to civilians and the analytical tools to use it. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the progress in the resources and capability matrix for the implementation of protection-of-civilians mandates in United Nations peacekeeping operations as a reference tool for identifying the resources and capabilities required for carrying out tasks relating to the protection of civilians, where mandated. The Special Committee underlines the need for continued consideration of the matrix by all relevant actors, including Member States, troop-contributing and police- contributing countries and field missions, based on developments in the field and lessons learned, as it undergoes further development. 289. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to continue, on an ongoing basis, to submit proposals, working closely with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, including on the implementation of protection-of- civilians mandates, to improve the ability of existing peacekeeping missions to respond to situations adversely affecting civilians, including all the logistical support and training required for those countries. 290. The Special Committee acknowledges that the protection of civilians is currently mandated in the majority of United Nations peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee recognizes that protection of civilians is the primary responsibility of the host country and, accordingly, emphasizes that relevant peacekeeping missions with this mandate should conduct their tasks without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the host Government to protect civilians. The Special Committee also acknowledges that the successful conduct of tasks relating to the protection of civilians, in particular when under imminent threat of physical violence and within the effective areas of deployment, wherever a United Nations mandate exists, requires a coordinated response from all relevant mission components. The Special Committee takes note of the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians as non-United Nations voluntary principles, as adopted by a number of countries during and after the International Conference on the Protection of Civilians held in 2015. The Special Committee continues to recognize that it is important for all peacekeeping missions with protection-of-civilians mandates to develop or update, as appropriate, comprehensive protection strategies for incorporation into overall mission implementation plans and contingency plans, in consultation with the host Government, local authorities, troop-contributing and
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police-contributing countries and other relevant actors, and requests those that have not yet carried out this task to do so. 291. The Special Committee notes the completion and upcoming review of the policy on the protection of civilians in United Nations peacekeeping of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support and emphasizes the need for close consultations with troop-contributing and police- contributing countries in the lead-up to the review. In this regard, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to share the findings with Member States of the Departments’ survey of the policy, when available, and provide a briefing on the results before its next substantive session. 292. The Special Committee takes note of the Framework for the Drafting of Comprehensive Protection of Civilians Strategies in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations as a practical tool for the development of mission-wide protection strategies. The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the dissemination of the Framework to peacekeeping missions and encourages peacekeeping missions to continue to refer to the Framework, where appropriate, to develop and update such strategies. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to continue to consult with Member States, including troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, field personnel and all relevant actors on the Framework, in order to continue to improve it, based on developments in the field and lessons learned, with due consideration of the full range of views of Member States. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an update on the progress made in this regard. 293. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of evaluating and reporting by missions on all mandated tasks, including on the protection of civilians, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that peacekeeping missions improve their reporting on all incidents relating to the protection of civilians, taking into account their capacities and areas of responsibility. All relevant information should be brought to the attention of Headquarters and the Security Council in a timely manner. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the importance of mission - specific benchmarks against which peacekeeping missions should report on the implementation of their mandates. The Special Committee notes the exploration of mechanisms for civilian casualty recording in peacekeeping operations and requests the Secretary-General to provide a briefing on developments in this area during its next substantive session. The Special Committee also notes the development of protection-of-civilians impact indicators and encourages peacekeeping operations with a protection-of-civilians mandate to implement them, as appropriate. 294. The Special Committee notes existing measures developed by various peacekeeping missions at the operational level to implement protection-of-civilians mandates. The Special Committee recognizes the need for baseline guidance on the protection of civilians, from which peacekeeping missions would develop their own mission-specific guidance. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to pursue efforts in close consultation with, and with the participation of, the missions to address their needs for further operational guidance on the protection of civilians and requests an update in this regard before its next substantive session. 295. The Special Committee recognizes the continuing need for effective routine assessment of the protection-of-civilians strategies being implemented by peacekeeping missions, taking into consideration the views of the relevant actors, including Member States, the host country, troop-contributing and police- contributing countries and the Secretariat, involved in the development of the strategies.
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296. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of improving planning processes and training modules for all mandated tasks, including protection of civilians, for peacekeeping personnel, including senior mission leadership before and during deployment, based on lessons learned from past and existing peacekeeping missions and case analysis. The Special Committee recognizes progress and takes note with appreciation of the dissemination of the protection -of- civilians training modules on the protection of civilians and the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence, and notes the ongoing work regarding predeployment and scenario-based training modules for peacekeeping personnel and their senior mission leadership. The Special Committee also takes note of the work conducted by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to ensure that Headquarters and in-mission planning processes, including the concept of operations, address protection of civilians in a consistent manner. 297. The Special Committee encourages peacekeeping training centres to draw on the protection-of-civilians training modules and the document entitled “Protection of civilians: implementing guidelines for military components of United Nations peacekeeping missions”, as appropriate, in their peacekeeping training programmes and requests the Secretariat to continue to consult with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in the lead-up to their review so as to allow them to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the modules. The Special Committee requests an update prior to its next substantive session on how these training materials and guidelines are being implemented as part of predeployment and in- mission training, including an assessment of whether any further training needs or gaps should be addressed. 298. The Special Committee takes note of the work by the Secretariat to gather lessons learned and practices on protection of civilians and encourages the Secretariat to explore ways to enhance the sharing of best practices and lesson s learned across peacekeeping missions and to update Member States periodically on the work done. 299. The Special Committee notes the use of protection-of-civilians sites and requests the Secretariat to examine the implications for current and future peacekeeping operations and to provide a briefing before its next substantive session. 300. The Special Committee stresses the importance of the mission having the capacity to interact closely with the host Government, local authorities and the local population in order to raise awareness and understanding of its protection-of- civilians mandate and activities and to help to build trust and protective environments. To this end, the Special Committee requests peacekeeping operations with such mandates to continue to engage, through relevant mission components and in close coordination with national authorities, in public information and outreach strategies, in line with Security Council resolution 1894 (2009). The Special Committee welcomes practices such as the establishment of Senior Advisers on Protection of Civilians in all missions with a protection-of-civilians mandate and the fielding of joint protection teams, host-country community liaison assistants and civil affairs officers, which improve local-level analysis and assist in expectation management among the local community regarding the role, opportunities and limitations of the peacekeeping mission. 301. The Special Committee recognizes that the efforts of United Nations peacekeeping are made in support of, and not as a substitute for, the efforts of the national authorities. The Special Committee acknowledges the importance for peacekeeping operations to support and build synergies and coordinate with host
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Governments, including at the local level, in protecting the civilian population. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing, before its next substantive session, on best practices on measures taken by peacekeeping operations to foster cooperation with the host authorities. 302. The Special Committee stresses the important role of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in taking forward work on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations, including work requested by the Committee, in a coordinated and expedient manner. The Special Committee also stresses the importance of coordination at Headquarters and in the field by all relevant United Nations actors, in accordance with their respective mandates, on issues relating to the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to improve coordination efforts at Headquarters and in the field, taking into consideration the different roles and responsibilities of relevant actors. The Special Committee also encourages further coordination between the United Nations and regional arrangements, as appropriate, on issues relating to the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations.
H. Cooperation with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries
303. The Special Committee underlines the need for the full and effective implementation of the provisions contained in Security Council resolutions 1327 (2000), 1353 (2001) and 2086 (2013) and the statement by the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2015 (S/PRST/2015/26), as well as the notes by the President on the issue of cooperation with troop-contributing and police- contributing countries so as to optimally utilize those mechanisms to forge a stronger relationship between the Council and those countries. 304. The Special Committee reiterates its call upon the Secretariat to consult with the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in a timely manner when planning any change in military and police tasks, mission-specific rules of engagement, operational concepts or command and control structure or early peacebuilding tasks that would have an impact on personnel, equipment, training and logistical requirements so as to enable these countries to contribute their advice during a strengthened and improved planning process and to take into account the needs of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries as they meet the new challenges and demands. 305. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to develop relevant policy papers, guidance and training documents, manuals and regulations in close consultations with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, drawing on their views and legitimate concerns. Furthermore, the Special Committee notes the Secretariat’s efforts to ensure the timely dissemination by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support of policy papers, guidance and training documents, manuals and regulations to members of the Special Committee through the United Nations Peacekeeping Resource Hub website. The Special Committee further requests the Secretariat to continue to brief troop-contributing and police-contributing countries on further developments in this regard. 306. The Special Committee observes that assessment and advisory and predeployment visits for military and police contributions are important steps in the process of force generation. In this regard, the Special Committee requests an update on the execution of the assessment and advisory and predeployment visits before its next substantive session.
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307. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to further provide to relevant troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, in a timely manner, information on the latest developments in current operations, technical assessment missions, and urgent situations that affect their operations, in particular with regard to critical security incidents within missions. The relevant reports of the Secretary - General and the findings of the relevant strategic and technical reviews should be shared with the respective troop-contributing and police-contributing countries well in advance of such sessions. 308. The Special Committee appreciates the concerted efforts of the United Nations Secretariat to improve multidimensional peacekeeping operations that operate in challenging environments and underlines the need for the memorandum of understanding, being the primary legal link among the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and the troop-contributing and police- contributing countries, to be agreed upon as quickly as possible. 309. The Special Committee welcomes the weekly briefings conducted by the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre to Member States, including the valuable contribution of various United Nations agencies. The Special Committee nonetheless considers that improvements could be made to these briefings to enhance their value for Member States, and in this regard requests the Secretariat, in consultation with Member States, to assess and identify areas for improvement and implementation by the end of November 2017. The Special Committee calls upon the Secretariat to ensure that mechanisms are in place to enable timely responses to operational questions raised by Member States in the briefings. The Special Committee also calls upon the Secretariat to disseminate notification of the briefings to members of the Committee in a timely manner. 310. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of effective coordination, consultation and dialogue between the Office for the Peacekeeping Strategic Partnership and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries for the effective execution of its work and of having the relevant intergovernmental bodies, including the Special Committee, consulted and regularly updated on any further developments relating to the Office. 311. The Special Committee stresses the need for the Secretariat to continue to enhance its outreach efforts to troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in order to improve their understanding of internal United Nations processes, including the handling of communication among capitals, mission headquarters and the Secretariat, the awareness of vacancies and the United Nations recruitment process. In this regard, it takes note of the Secretariat’s efforts, such as the biannual troop-contributing and police-contributing country outreach round tables, and encourages Member States to identify institutions and organizations in their countries to join the network of outreach multipliers.
I. Triangular cooperation among the Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries
312. The Special Committee takes note of the evolving and challenging nature of the prevailing peacekeeping environment and underscores the value of a productive relationship among those who mandate, plan, manage and implement United Nations peacekeeping operations. Drawing on the existing triangular cooperation among the Security Council, the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat in addressing the challenges of peacekeeping, the Special Committee stresses the need for this relationship to foster a spirit of partnership, cooperation, confidence and mutual trust and to enable the Security
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Council to give full consideration to the views of those serving in the field when making its decisions about peacekeeping mandates. 313. The Special Committee reiterates that sustained triangular consultations based on existing formal and informal facilitating mechanisms and on inclusive thematic debates on the issues of peacekeeping among the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries are essential for a shared understanding of appropriate responses and their implications for the mandate and conduct of an operation. The Special Committee encourages troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to continue to contribute their experience and expertise to these consultations. Doing so can greatly assist in the planning of operations and ensures that their personnel have the capacity to meet the new demands. The Special Committee stresses the importance of making the best use of and improving, as necessary, existing platforms for consultations in order to assess the strength and composition of the peacekeeping operations and the implementation of their mandates and, where appropriate, making adjustments according to progress achieved or changing circumstances on the ground. 314. The Special Committee stresses the need for the continued implementation of all the measures addressed to the Secretariat in the note by the President of the Security Council (S/2013/630) on consultations with troop-contributing and police- contributing countries. 315. Mindful of the importance of interactive dialogue and proactive participation, the Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to provide more discussion - oriented briefings during triangular meetings that move beyond the repetition of relevant reports. The Special Committee also encourages troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to make more proactive inputs in response to the briefings, with a view to more effectively utilizing their experience and expertise. 316. In order to ensure unity of effort and a common commitment to the mandates, Security Council members, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat should participate in regular, inclusive and meaningful consultations, including for any mandate change. The Special Committee encourages regular and timely informal dialogue sessions among Security Council members, the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, including in advance of mandate renewals and in response to any significant changes to the missions’ operating environments, and recommends that they should be sustained and reinforced. 317. Troop-contributing and police-contributing countries would benefit from early consultation on the development of concepts of operations in order to avoid caveats being presented after mandates have already been finalized. 318. The Special Committee recognizes the ongoing need to broaden the base of countries contributing to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and in this regard calls upon the Secretariat to continue to improve its information-sharing and consultation processes with all Member States. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to avail itself for consultations, at the request of existing and potential contributing countries, to discuss, among other things, predeployment threat assessments, concepts of operations and rules of engagement for existing and new missions, in order to assist them and provide a clear understanding of what is expected before they present their pledges to those missions. 319. The Special Committee welcomes the organization by the Presidency of the Security Council of open and inclusive thematic debates on the issues of peacekeeping and stresses the importance of the optimal participation of troop- contributing and police-contributing countries in these debates.
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320. The Special Committee recognizes the work of the Working Group of the Security Council on Peacekeeping Operations, welcomes the important practice and encourages the continued interaction with the troop-contributing and police- contributing countries. Furthermore, the Special Committee expresses the need for timely substantial interaction between the Working Group and these countries so that their views and concerns are considered. 321. The Special Committee urges the Secretariat to meet reporting deadlines and circulate copies of the reports of the Secretary-General in all official languages on specific United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee takes note of the statement by the President of the Security Council of 26 August 2011 (S/PRST/2011/17) in which the Council requested the Secretariat to circulate to troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, by the 15th of each month, notices of and invitations to the Council’s upcoming troop-contributing and police- contributing country meetings that are anticipated to be held during the following month on individual peacekeeping mission mandates. This will enable these countries to prepare properly for the meetings and participate more fully. 322. The Special Committee underlines the need for the Secretariat to provide the Security Council, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and other key stakeholders with an early assessment of capabilities, force generation and logistical resource requirements prior to the launch of a new peacekeeping mission or a major reconfiguration of a current one. 323. The Special Committee stresses the importance of regular updating, as often as necessary, of the operational documents by the Secretariat, so as to ensure consistency with the mandates of the Security Council, and of informing troop - contributing and police-contributing countries about those updates, and requests the Secretariat to adopt a mission-specific approach to planning, as appropriate, and to inform them accordingly. 324. The Special Committee reaffirms that the pattern of triangular cooperation should include a mix of both formal and informal meetings that take place on a regular basis so that there is continuous substantive, representative and meaningful dialogue in which the three stakeholders are able to exchange views well ahead of mandate renewals. The Special Committee stresses that sustained consultations among troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, the Secretariat and the Security Council have yet to reach their full potential. The Special Committee invites Member States to initiate informal discussions between Committee members to discuss ways to improve triangular cooperation, with a view to generating suggestions to improve triangular cooperation that could be considered in the next substantive session of the Special Committee.
J. Cooperation with regional arrangements
325. Bearing in mind the primacy of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security and noting the Secretary-General’s view that the Organization is moving towards “partnership peacekeeping”, in which close cooperation with regional arrangements throughout every phase of a crisis is strongly encouraged, the Special Committee reaffirms the important contribution that regional arrangements and agencies can make to peacekeeping, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, where appropriate, and when the mandate and capacity of regional arrangements or agencies allow. In this regard, the Special Committee acknowledges the growing contributions of regional arrangements and the importance of a strengthened partnership with the United Nations in the area of peacekeeping. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to further deepen
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cooperation with relevant regional arrangements, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (A/70/357). 326. The Special Committee stresses that regional organizations have the responsibility to secure human, financial, logistical and other resources for their organizations, including through contributions by their members and support from partners. The Special Committee emphasizes the growing contributions of regional arrangements and the importance of a strengthened partnership with the United Nations in the area of peacekeeping. 327. The Special Committee recognizes the valuable work of those regional arrangements or agencies in supporting United Nations peacekeeping and in enhancing the common ability of their Member States to contribute to peacekeeping operations, including through the development of capabilities. The Special Committee acknowledges the work of the United Nations liaison offices to the African Union and to the European Union in strengthening the cooperation between the United Nations and these two regional organizations and notes their ongoing work in support of United Nations peacekeeping. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to finalize and implement the Joint United Nations- African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. Furthermore, the Special Committee recalls the adoption of the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Nations. The Special Committee acknowledges the intent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to consider assistance in United Nations peacekeeping activities and welcomes the signing of a memorandum of understanding on 28 September 2012. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to seek new opportunities for engagement with other regional arrangements. 328. The Special Committee recognizes the added value that could be brought by the opening of a liaison office with the League of Arab States and calls upon the Secretariat to further explore options in this regard. The Special Committee looks forward to the convening of the 2017 general meeting on cooperation between the representatives of the secretariats of the United Nations system and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and its specialized organizations to further strengthen the partnership between the two organizations and build a road map of future cooperation, including capacity-building in the area of peacekeeping. 329. The Special Committee notes the efforts of the Secretariat to find new ways to draw on mutually supportive partnerships with the regional arrangements that may increasingly contribute to United Nations peacekeeping. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the hosting of the regional meetings on peacekeeping held in Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Jakarta, Kigali and Montevideo prior to the 2015 Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping, with the aim of strengthening cooperation among relevant actors. The Special Committee notes that these efforts have helped to enhance contributions in some peacekeeping operations and can help to address the rapid-response gaps United Nations peacekeeping is facing by drawing on the rapid-response capabilities available in each region. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the pledges made by the regional arrangements at the 2015 Leaders’ Summit. The Special Committee also notes the need to explore the potential of multilateral partnerships between the United Nations and individual regional organizations or between regional organizations.
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330. The Special Committee encourages closer coordination and cooperation between the Secretariat and relevant regional organizations on issues relating to police in peacekeeping. 331. The Special Committee recognizes the growing importance of partnership and cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements in planning and conducting United Nations peacekeeping operations and acknowledges that there is a need to further strengthen the mechanisms of engagement at the strategic level. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to develop exercise and training policies with these regional arrangements aimed at improving interoperability. The Special Committee acknowledges the work being carried out by the Secretariat regarding the lessons learned from cooperation and its readiness to enhance and seek new opportunities for engagement with regional arrangements on a range of issues. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to explore the possibility of exchanging relevant information aimed at improving interoperability and enhancing operational effectiveness. 332. The Special Committee notes with appreciation the close cooperation on peacekeeping between the United Nations and the European Union and encourages both organizations to further strengthen their institutional relations and strategic partnership. 333. The Special Committee notes the enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements in the area of peacekeeping, including progress made in the coordination of the planning of parallel or sequential operations between the United Nations and regional arrangements, and underscores the need to take stock of lessons learned in all aspects drawn from the transition from a regionally led peacekeeping operation to a United Nations peacekeeping operation.
K. Enhancement of African peacekeeping capacities
334. The Special Committee recognizes, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, the strategic nature of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in the context of peacekeeping operations, which has evolved at the strategic and operational levels and contributes to effective responses to conflict. The Special Committee commends the crucial contribution and role of the African Union and subregional organizations in efforts to settle conflicts and expresses its support for the peacekeeping activities that they conduct on the African continent. The Special Committee further emphasizes the importance of deepening the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. This partnership should be based on consultations, regular meetings at all levels, the liaison offices, close cooperation on and shared analysis of the conflict situations on the ground, comparative advantage and division of labour to better address the complexities of today’s conflicts in Africa. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the signing of two agreements between the Department of Field Support and the African Union in September 2016 on the participation of African Union personnel in an administration and resource training programme and on the establishment of a pilot staff exchange programme. 335. The Special Committee underlines the importance of addressing the requirements of the African Union and subregional organizations in the context of peacekeeping at the continental level. In this regard, the Special Committee takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union on issues of peace and security in Africa, including the work of the United Nations Office to the African Union (S/2016/780) and Security Council resolution 2320 (2016). The Special Committee stresses the
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need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for the African Union when it undertakes a peacekeeping operation authorized by the Security Council consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter. In this regard, the Special Committee looks forward to the results of the Secretary-General’s review and assessment, as requested by the Council in its resolution 2320 (2016), of options for further cooperation on the relevant African Union proposals. The Special Committee further takes note of the report of the joint African Union-United Nations review of available mechanisms to finance and support African Union peace support operations authorized by the United Nations Security Council (S/2016/809). 336. The Special Committee underlines the importance of the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter, as mentioned in the above-mentioned report (S/2016/809). The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of African Union Assembly decisions Assembly/AU/Dec.578 (XXV) (June 2015), Assembly/AU/Dec.xxx (XXVI) (January 2016) and Assembly/AU/Dec.605 (XXVII) in July 2016. Furthermore, the Special Committee welcomes the readiness of the Security Council to consider the proposals of the African Union as stated in Council resolution 2320 (2016), including on financing and accountability, taking note of the High Representative for the African Union Peace Fund’s “Report and proposals on the decision-making process for seeking United Nations-assessed contributions for African Union peace support operations” as a contribution for further discussions, with other relevant United Nations bodies, in accordance with established procedures and in compliance with their respective purviews. 337. The Special Committee recognizes the role of regional organizations as first responders to conflict situations. The Special Committee, in particular, appreciates the contributions of the African Union to the peacekeeping efforts on the African continent, even in dangerous environments where unconventional threats exist. In this regard, the Special Committee reiterates that African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter should be adequately funded and resourced with the relevant logistics, enablers and equipment. 338. The Special Committee, mindful that the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, recognizes the strategic relationship between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and underscores the importance of deepening and enhancing this relationship, with a view to ensuring rapid and appropriate responses to emerging situations and developing effective strategies for conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding on the continent. The Special Committee also recognizes the important role of the Peace and Security Council in facilitating coordination and dialogue between the Security Council and relevant bodies of African subregional organizations. 339. The Special Committee encourages the United Nations and regional organizations, especially the African Union, to take more concrete steps to strengthen their relationships and develop more effective partnerships when addressing issues of mutual interest and underscores the need to enhance their predeployment joint planning and joint mission assessment processes to promote common understanding and the increased effectiveness of peacekeeping missions. The Special Committee continues to encourage the taking of steps, as articulated above, to foster a more strategic vision of the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations on matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security.
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340. The Special Committee welcomes the importance of the contribution of the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa in strengthening the relationship between the Secretariat and the African Union Commission. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the decision of the Secretary-General to conduct an assessment of African Union-United Nations cooperation, as well as the structure and capacity of the United Nations Office to the African Union to meet the growing demand for partnership, and requests an update on this issue. 341. The Special Committee recognizes, in addition to the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping partnership in ongoing operations, the need for continual operational and planning support, as well as long-term capacity-building support, to the African Union Commission for its peacekeeping operations under the Framework for a Renewed United Nations-African Union Partnership on Africa’s Integration and Development Agenda 2017–2027. This includes support for the planning and management of the ongoing operations, as well as potential future operations, and the provision of technical advice in and support for the development of policies, guidelines, doctrine and training for the African Standby Force as part of the African Peace and Security Architecture. Given that the 10-year capacity- building programme has come to an end, the Special Committee expresses its satisfaction with regard to the achievements obtained under this programme and looks forward to future developments concerning the United Nations-African Union Partnership on Africa’s integration and development agenda for 2017–2027, which has been identified by the Assembly of the African Union as the programme’s successor. Moreover, the Special Committee looks forward to the contribution of the African Standby Force and its Rapid Deployment Capability and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises to peace and security in Africa, and in this regard welcomes the efforts by the African Union and its five regional mechanisms to ensure the full operationalization of the African Standby Force and its rapid deployment capacity, including the AMANI Africa exercises. 342. The Special Committee reaffirms the need to strengthen training, logistical and other forms of support for the African Union in peacekeeping, and in this regard notes the efforts of the Integrated Training Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in contributing to strengthening the peacekeeping training capacity of the African Union. The Special Committee notes the vital role that African women officers can play as military observers and police officers, owing to the lack of women employed as community liaison assistants. In particular, the deployment of Arabic-, French- and Swahili-speaking women officers would fill a critical capability gap. The Special Committee welcomes the ongoing collaboration between the United Nations Office to the African Union and the African Union Commission in the areas of mission planning, development of doctrines and policies and the provision of military, police, logistical, medical, human resources, procurement and other mission support. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts of the African Union to implement a women and peace and security agenda through the adoption of a five-year gender, peace and security programme. 343. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to develop, in collaboration with the African Union, a creative and flexible transition toolbox embodying a common vision that the United Nations and African Union would employ, when and where appropriate, to inform future transition processes. The Special Committee also encourages the Secretariat to explore with the African Union the development, on a case-by-case basis, of context-specific benchmarks that could be used to determine the conditions under which a transition should take place, given the needs in the country and the situation on the ground. 344. The Special Committee takes note of the joint work initiated by the Secretariat and the African Union on standardizing the process of rehatting uniformed
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personnel from African Union to United Nations peacekeeping operations and takes note of the letter of the Secretary-General (S/2015/3) on transitions that updated the progress made in this regard. The Special Committee requests another update on the conclusion of the joint development of a toolbox for transitions, which is expected in the first half of 2017. 345. The Special Committee recognizes the contribution of African troop and police contributors and stresses the importance of building the peacekeeping capacities of African Member States. The Special Committee recognizes the need to bolster the participation of new African troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and to strengthen their capacities, with the support of partners. 346. The Special Committee encourages the enhancement of international support for African peacekeeping training centres, which are essential tools in the deployment of African peacekeeping forces. 347. With the aim of enhancing African peacekeeping capacities, the Special Committee stresses the importance for the United Nations of assisting in the development of the ability of regional and subregional organizations to deploy peacekeeping forces rapidly on the continent in support of United Nations and African peacekeeping operations mandated by the Security Council and welcomes the relevant initiatives taken in this regard. The Committee welcomes the recent progress in the triangular partnership project initiated by the Department of Field Support to enhance the capacities of African troop-contributing countries in rapidly deploying construction engineering capabilities as well as signal capabilities. The Special Committee, mindful of the potential positive impact of the triangular partnership arrangements among a troop-contributing country, the Secretariat and a third country providing specialist equipment or resources, encourages the Secretariat to take concrete measures to expand these arrangements by identifying other capacities that may be needed. The Special Committee also encourages Member States with the requisite skills and capacity to support such efforts. The Special Committee underscores the need to further explore appropriate field support options for African Union rapid deployment capabilities required to implement it. 348. The Special Committee notes that the Secretariat is developing, jointly with the African Union Commission, a draft United Nations-African Union joint framework for an enhanced partnership in peace and security, which sets out principles for a partnership based on early, continuous and comprehensive engagement, with a view to achieving unity of purpose and effort between the two organizations. The Special Committee emphasizes the importance of taking into account lessons learned from past United Nations-African Union collaboration on peacekeeping as this framework develops. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide an update at its next substantive session on the finalized framework, which was set to be finalized in 2016, according to the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/70/579).
L. Developing stronger United Nations field support arrangements
349. The Special Committee recognizes the responses to the challenges faced by the Organization in providing logistic, administrative and information and communications technology (ICT) support for peacekeeping operations. The Special Committee takes note with appreciation of the measures taken under the five-year global field support strategy to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery in an integrated, accountable and transparent manner, and
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encourages the Department of Field Support to further improve the delivery of field support services, while emphasizing the need for timely completion of any remaining activities. 350. The Special Committee recognizes the need for the United Nations to become a more field-oriented and people-centred organization in its peacekeeping operations, which requires modernized approaches and structures to enable flexible and more agile responses in the field. The Special Committee recognizes that achieving such flexibility, agility and responsiveness will require both short-term and longer-term administrative and institutional reforms with inclusive and meaningful consultations with Member States and encourages the Secretary-General to empower the Department of Field Support with the appropriate delegated authority required to support the more efficient administration of field -focused policies and procedures to expedite service delivery and recruitment. 351. Recognizing the completion of the global field support strategy in June 2015, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to engage in an inclusive consultative process with Member States, in particular with troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and the leadership of the respective field missions, when developing new initiatives. Such initiatives should be based on lessons learned and reflected in new policies, drawing on the experiences of Member States, in particular troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The quality, responsiveness, accountability, transparency, cost-effectiveness and operational effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery in peacekeeping missions should be prioritized. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to provide detailed information on the final evaluation of the global field support strategy, including cost-benefit analyses, lessons learned, best practices and benchmarks for reporting on progress and assessing achievement, as well as information on planned post-strategy activities. 352. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to include in one of its briefings, well in advance of its next substantive session, information on the way forward to improve the speed of start-ups. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of further improving the speed of mission start-ups and the deployment of all categories of personnel, logistics and equipment. In this regard, the Special Committee also requests the Secretariat to establish standing administrative measures for mission start-ups and crisis response, which would go into effect upon certification by the Secretary-General of a crisis or emergency. The Special Committee remains concerned about the average length of time required to recruit and deploy civilian staff, in particular during mission start-up. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the Secretary-General’s commitment to undertaking reviews of key administrative processes relating to field support and urges the Department of Management and the Department of Field Support to complete these reviews by September 2017. 353. The Special Committee recognizes that the objectives of the predefined modules and service packages are the improvements of the speed and predictability required for mission start-ups and the enabling of the rapid development of infrastructure to support contingents being deployed. The Special Committee urges the Secretariat to continue to work in close consultation with Member States, in particular troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, in further developing predefined modules and service packages, with a view to improving the quality and expediting the delivery of services to field missions. 354. The Special Committee looks forward to the implementation of the confirmed modules that are configured from the strategic deployment stocks, as appropriate,
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and corresponding service packages in current missions, so that adequate and flexible logistic support for contingents can be improved. 355. Noting the positive results linked to the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe, Uganda, for the missions it serves, the Special Committee advises that all peacekeeping missions should consider being linked to a regional or shared service centre to ensure business continuity, improve standardization, guarantee consistency and quality control, increase economies of scale of services provided and align with the evolution of the global service model and guarantee the rapid support of new missions. The Special Committee underlines that the creation of any additional regional service centres requires further consultations with Member States. 356. With respect to the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe, the Special Committee requests the Secretariat to include in the informal briefings an update on the ongoing work. 357. The Special Committee takes note of the work being done to bring about further reform in the supply chain management and address its deficiencies in management. The Special Committee underscores that the Secretariat should engage with Member States, in particular troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, while developing and implementing supply chain management for improved support services to the peacekeeping missions. The quality, responsiveness, accountability, transparency, cost-effectiveness and operational effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery in peacekeeping missions should be strengthened. The Special Committee requests, in advance of its next substantive session, a comprehensive update on efforts to further develop supply chain management. 358. The Special Committee notes the often significant environmental footprint of peacekeeping operations and welcomes the positive efforts that have been taken by the United Nations to reduce its environmental impact. In this regard, the Special Committee looks forward to the planned update of the United Nations environmental policy for peacekeeping operations and its waste management policy and environmental action plan and encourages the greater use of renewable resources, in order to achieve the more efficient use of energy and water, reduce waste production and improve the health, safety and security of local communities and United Nations personnel. 359. The Special Committee stresses the importance of transparent procurement processes for the effective and efficient delivery of services to field missions. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the positive impact of properly conducted procurement processes and stresses that procurement personnel should be well- trained and adhere to the principles of integrity, fairness and transparency. 360. The Special Committee stresses the importance of local procurement and of updating and revising the existing rules and regulations, as appropriate, with a view to prioritizing local capacities, where relevant, while minimizing disruption to the economic viability and social norms and practices of local communities. 361. The Special Committee takes note of ongoing efforts by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to modernize their ICT infrastructure, planning and management, including enhancing connectivity in the field. The Special Committee requests that this issue be included in future briefings on field support in advance of its next substantive session. 362. The Special Committee recognizes that troop and police contingents are responsible for deploying with a self-sustainment capacity for accommodation for six months, after which the United Nations either reimburses or provides accommodation. The Special Committee also recognizes the importance of
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standards of accommodation in the field and requests the Secretariat to support the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment and the Fifth Committee to review and, as appropriate, update the existing guiding principles on accommodation in 2017 in order to ensure effective compliance with relevant United Nations health, environmental and technological standards. The Special Committee requests a briefing on this issue and the measures appropriately taken for each peacekeeping operation before its next substantive session. 363. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to further improve human resources and other administrative procedures for field missions in order to facilitate more rapid deployment and tailored management of staff, with appropriate delegation of authority to heads of peacekeeping missions in order to better manage the reassignment of personnel within their missions. 364. The Special Committee notes the Secretary-General’s intention to develop a global service delivery model that will provide efficient and timely support services to Headquarters, offices away from Headquarters, regional economic commissions and field missions. The Special Committee stresses that the global service delivery model should incorporate lessons learned from the global field support strategy and should take note of how non-location-dependent administrative functions can be used to mitigate safety and security challenges by reducing United Nations personnel in threat environments. 365. The Special Committee remains committed to the consideration of any new proposals conducive to the enhancement of the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil its responsibilities in the field of peacekeeping, in accordance with its mandate to comprehensively review the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all its aspects. 366. The Special Committee underlines the importance of the informal briefings on the achievements made in relation to delivery of services to field missions and challenges facing field support in all its operational aspects and requests the Secretariat to continue to provide informal quarterly briefings on the field support issues in all its operational aspects in order to enable meaningful discussions with all Member States, in particular troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee notes that briefings are an important part of the consultative process but do not constitute an approval process.
M. Best practices and training
367. The Special Committee underlines the importance of proper preparation and training tailored to missions, including conducting intensive, frequent, scenario - based training focused, inter alia, on engaging in fulfilling the mandate, serving and protecting the people the United Nations has been mandated to assist, and giving attention to protection of civilians as well as to the safety, security and effectiveness of missions. The Special Committee recognizes that effective training, pre- and post-deployment, is essential and critical for military and police forces in order to identify the proper response against perpetrators of civilian attacks. The Special Committee notes that the Secretariat has developed guidance and scenario-based training materials on the protection of civilians but lacks necessary feedback to confirm that this training has been effectively delivered to all deploying military and police personnel. 368. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of peacekeeping training as a tool for enabling United Nations peacekeepers to successfully implement peacekeeping mandates on the ground and to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers in volatile environments. The Special Committee continues to
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emphasize the role of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Field Support as the primary bodies responsible for the development, implementation and validation of peacekeeping training standards and advice, through the work of the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the circulation of a draft memorandum of understanding to those Member States who pledged to provide mobile training teams to support peacekeeping missions and troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee looks forward to receiving more details regarding the latest developments in the context of an informal briefing. 369. To counter the injury risks of contemporary peacekeeping operations and improve the survivability of deployed personnel, all personnel must complete basic first aid training prior to deployment and personnel deployed into designated medical positions, such as combat medics, must receive advanced medical care training. In this regard, the Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to expand training in medical services, including through mobile training courses. 370. The Special Committee stresses the need for the United Nations to have an effective lessons learned process that leads from the identification of key lessons and best practices through to their implementation and sharing in all aspects of peacekeeping. The Special Committee notes that the “implementation review policy 2013” identifies gaps and that recommendations are being implemented and requests a briefing on the process. The Special Committee notes the policy of knowledge-sharing and organizational learning, which established a framework for further shaping and strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of United Nations peacekeeping in the field and at Headquarters by identifying, capturing, sharing and implementing best practices and lessons learned. The Special Committee therefore stresses the need for the United Nations to further implement the lessons learned functionality as indicated in the United Nations Force Headquarters Handbook and a widespread structured network to capture lessons, especially in the field. 371. The Special Committee welcomes the emphasis on strengthening the performance and effectiveness of uniformed and civilian peacekeeping personnel. The Special Committee welcomes recent triangular partnership projects in the domain of training, implemented by the Department of Field Support with the technical and financial support of involved Member States with the aim of enhancing the skills and equipment of troop-contributing countries. The Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue exploring potential new models of cooperation in training development and delivery, in close consultation with the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and in cooperation with other relevant partners, as appropriate, and requests an update before the next session, with emphasis on the training of staff officers at field headquarters. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the initiative of Member States who pledged to provide mobile training teams to support troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, to meet the United Nations missions’ requirements, and looks forward to receiving more details regarding the latest developments in the context of an informal briefing. 372. As a basic part of the framework of the ongoing peacekeeping training architecture, the Special Committee welcomes the establishment of the training -of- trainers centre in order to enhance the training capabilities of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries and encourages Member States to further support this very important initiative. In this regard, the Special Committee encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to engage troop-contributing and police- contributing countries’ training centres more actively in order that Member States can meet the United Nations training standards. In this regard, the Special
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Committee looks forward, at its next substantive session, to a briefing on progress made in promoting coherence in peacekeeping training. 373. The Special Committee underlines the importance of appropriate predeployment training and continues to encourage the Secretariat to make full use of the Integrated Training Service and Office of Military Affairs assessment teams before deployment to identify any shortfalls and assist in addressing them and to provide comprehensive as well as scenario-driven and/or mission-specific training modules that include methods to improve coordination in the delivery, validation and certification of effective peacekeeping training courses. The Special Committee recognizes the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System as the framework used by the United Nations to pledge and prepare units to deploy and stresses the need for assessment and advisory visits, which are instrumental in ascertaining training capacity needs and can inform the deployment of the mobile training teams to assist troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to meet the United Nations training requirements necessary for operational readiness. In this regard, the Special Committee urges the Secretariat and Members States to work closely to facilitate the assessment and advisory visits in a timely manner and the Secretariat to facilitate capacity-building efforts. 374. The Special Committee stresses the need for the United Nations to follow best practices in all peacekeeping activities and in this regard recognizes the important role played by mission best practice officers. The Special Committee welcomes the United Nations Peacekeeping Resource Hub website and encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to enhance and regularly update it with current materials for Member States, peacekeeping training institutes and United Nations partners. The Special Committee reiterates the need for the website to be more user-friendly, in order to enhance global peacekeeping capacity by providing the peacekeeping community with timely access to relevant training standards, materials and tools, as well as relevant guidance documents, and in this regard encourages mission leaders to contribute lessons from the field through post-mission reports. The Special Committee stresses the need for documents to be translated into the six official languages of the United Nations and urges Member States to support this effort accordingly. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing before the next substantive session on the development of the website and on the steps taken to make all documents available in the six official languages and an update on the status of the project and its usage by the various peacekeeping training centres. 375. The Special Committee acknowledges that while the performance of military and police personnel is a collective responsibility of Member States and the Secretariat, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries remain responsible for the delivery of predeployment training according to United Nations standards. The Special Committee welcomes the Guidelines on Operational Readiness Preparation for Troop-contributing Countries in Peacekeeping Operations and recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations also focus on materials pertaining to such issues as women and peace and security, the prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict and child protection. Noting the continued complex demands of peacekeeping operations and the benefits of cooperation in peacekeeping training between Member States, the Special Committee continues to urge the Secretariat to facilitate capacity-building efforts, and in this regard welcomes the work that the Secretariat and troop-contributing and police- contributing countries have under way to develop capabilities for the units commonly used in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee looks forward to the roll-out of specialized training materials in 2017 through regional training-of-trainers courses and calls upon Member States
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and, in particular, troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, to support the Integrated Training Service by hosting such courses and to increase the number of qualified women at all levels of participation in these courses. 376. The Special Committee recalls the final report and recommendations of the training needs assessment undertaken by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for 2012–2013,1 which focused on mandate implementation and informed the update of the core predeployment training materials. The Special Committee notes the assessment for 2016–2017 aimed at analysing in-mission training needs, including the protection of civilians, and recommends that steps be taken to strengthen the design and delivery of training. The assessment conducted provides an important opportunity to ensure that there is coherence and a common view of the roles and responsibilities of the various actors engaged in providing training to peacekeepers. The Special Committee looks forward to receiving at its next substantive session an update on the follow-up to the action points emanating from the recommendations of the training needs assessment. 377. The Special Committee reiterates that the predeployment training of contingents and individual uniformed personnel, using the standardized peacekeeping training materials, remains a national responsibility. The materials are provided by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which incorporates feedback from troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee recognizes the notable progress on the status of such materials, including mission-specific training materials and projects related to training materials that have been developed or implemented by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and urges the Secretariat to continue this effort. The Special Committee takes note of the translation of the specialized training material on the protection of civilians at the tactical level into French and looks forward to all training materials, once completed, being available in the six official languages of the United Nations. The Special Committee stresses the need to conduct training for peacekeeping operations in a range of languages, consistent with the linguistic requirements of the theatre. The Special Committee takes note of the efforts made by the Secretariat to have training-of-trainers sessions conducted in French as well and invites it to continue and strengthen such efforts in accordance with theatre requirements. 378. The Special Committee notes the increasing complexity of peacekeeping operations and the continuously rising demand for resources, which necessitate further cooperation in peacekeeping training among Member States, including the provision of training opportunities, partnership with peacekeeping training institutions worldwide and assistance to new and emerging troop-contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee encourages troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to nominate qualified personnel for train-the-trainers courses and to make use of the train-the-trainers centre. The Special Committee further encourages Member States to apply to obtain training accreditation for high-priority courses, including for staff officers. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to continue to further facilitate capacity-building efforts through the application of the training-of-trainers concept and the best use of peacekeeping training institutions worldwide and of available resources, including through focused, mission-specific scenario training aimed at addressing challenges encountered in previous experiences in missions, especially through the lessons- learned concept. Emphasizing the need for improved, mission-specific predeployment training, the Special Committee urges the Secretariat to continue to work consistently in partnership with troop-contributing and police-contributing
______1 Available from http://repository.un.org/handle/11176/89581.
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countries in order to address new challenges not previously anticipated during the course of developing various suggested scenario-based training modules, including through providing advice from the field to troop-contributing and police- contributing countries on specific tactical areas that should be included in predeployment training, such as counter-improvised explosive device and counter- ambush. 379. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of intensive training, throughout the basic skills and predeployment phases, including mission-specific training courses. The Special Committee underlines the importance of strengthening in-mission induction courses on gender sensitivity and on child protection. The Special Committee requests the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to ensure the provision of adequate and updated gender-sensitivity and child protection training materials to national and regional peacekeeping training centres. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing before the second half of each year on the status of the above and an update regarding the specialized training materials. 380. The Special Committee takes note of the establishment of dedicated military gender advisers and the objective of appointing suitably trained gender focal points in each battalion as stipulated in the United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual, and in this regard, the Special Committee recognizes the need for the development of United Nations training and resource material for military gender advisers and military gender focal points, through the support of Member States, as appropriate, and requests that the course form part of the training-of-trainers programme. 381. The Special Committee continues to support the efforts of Member States and regional arrangements to enhance the capacity of peacekeeping personnel through peacekeeping training centres. The Special Committee welcomes the initiative to provide up-to-date material and to share best practices through the peacekeeping training community of practice website. The Special Committee recognizes the importance of the community of practice website where, interactively, the Integrated Training Service shares knowledge and experience on training with trainers and members of peacekeeping training institutes. The Special Committee recognizes the increased usage of the website and also recognizes the training resource hub as the single platform for all United Nations training materials to be used by the troop - contributing and police-contributing countries. The Special Committee requests an annual update on the status of the project and its usage by the various peacekeeping training centres. 382. The Special Committee notes the strategy of the Integrated Training Service to implement the recommendations of the internal review conducted in 2015 for the Senior Mission Administration and Resource Training programme and recognizes the strengthened management component of the programme, with new scenario- based exercises and the development of decision-making skills. The Special Committee requests an update before its next substantive session regarding the implementation of the strategy. In this regard, the Special Committee reiterates the importance of undertaking a gender analysis in consultation with key stakeholders, including experienced senior female leaders. 383. The Special Committee notes the sustained increase of the police dimension in a number of missions and stresses the need to address shortfalls in the standing force requirement for police personnel in peacekeeping operations, in particular for police officers with specialized expertise. The Special Committee notes the measures taken by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to address the additional training needs and requests regular updates regarding these measures, with a view to better addressing the above-mentioned shortfalls. The Special
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Committee welcomes the completion and the availability of the specialized training materials for formed police units. The Special Committee encourages the translation of predeployment training materials into all the official languages of the United Nations and further encourages the police-contributing countries for potential use during predeployment training. The Special Committee requests the Department of Peacekeeping Operations also to develop guidelines on operational readiness preparation for police-contributing countries in peacekeeping operations. 384. The Special Committee welcomes technological platforms, including e-learning, which supplement traditional training methods and provide access to standardized training materials across a widely distributed population of military, police and civilian peacekeepers. In this regard, the Special Committee welcomes the development of peacekeeping e-learning courses by the Integrated Training Service. The Special Committee welcomes the free and multilingual delivery of e-learning courses on peacekeeping, such as those provided by the Peace Operations Training Institute, including the E-Learning for African Peacekeepers and E-Learning for Peacekeepers from Latin America and the Caribbean. The Special Committee also welcomes the integrated distance learning programmes provided directly to the peacekeeping missions by the Institute. The Special Committee fully supports the further development and delivery of such e-learning and training initiatives and encourages Member States to support them through voluntary financial contributions. The Special Committee therefore encourages the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to work with all interested parties to develop a coherent strategy for the delivery of economical and efficient United Nations endorsed e-learning in order to further enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping. 385. The Special Committee takes note of the support provided by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to predeployment training of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries, which builds on the predeployment training package developed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Special Committee encourages UNITAR to continue to diversify its learning and educational resources to respond adequately to the training needs of personnel and to coordinate with other online training providers to improve access to resources. 386. The Special Committee underscores that, with regard to support for Member States, the Integrated Training Service should focus primarily on enhancing and building peacekeeping training, including capacity enhancement for mandate implementation, and that all United Nations entities engaged in training initiatives specifically or uniquely aimed at peacekeepers should coordinate these activities through the Service. The Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue to work with Member States, the University for Peace, UNITAR and the Peace Operations Training Institute, and other training partners, to provide support in peacekeeping training to Member States, improve the dissemination of training materials, including to the field, raise awareness of peacekeeping training initiatives and develop partnerships, and enhance strategic networking to help to match training resources to prioritized needs. 387. The Special Committee reaffirms the Charter of the United Nations and, acknowledging the importance of, among other things, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law, encourages the widest possible dissemination, beyond the online availability at the United Nations Peacekeeping Resource Hub, of information and training materials to enable peacekeepers to understand how the implementation of the mandated tasks intersects with these fields of law, and to act accordingly.
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388. Recognizing the increasingly important role of civil affairs components in United Nations peacekeeping operations and the need for ongoing efforts to supp ort the work of civil affairs officers, the Special Committee welcomes the initiatives of the Secretariat in that regard. In particular, the Special Committee welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Secretariat to develop civil affairs, guidance and associated training materials.
N. Personnel
389. The Special Committee recognizes the efforts made by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support with regard to the balanced recruiting of staff, in accordance with the Charter, the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions, and urges the Secretary-General to continue his efforts in this regard. The Special Committee reiterates that, in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter, the paramount consideration in the employment of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity and that due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The Special Committee notes that the gender perspective should continue to be pursued, in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to provide a briefing on this subject, including relevant figures. 390. The Special Committee recalls paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 65/290 and requests the Secretary-General to make further specific efforts to ensure the proper representation of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, as well as in peacekeeping missions, taking into account their contribution to United Nations peacekeeping. In this context, the Special Committee urges the Secretary - General to ensure a fair representation of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries when selecting personnel for such staff positions. 391. The Special Committee, recalling General Assembly resolutions 63/250, 65/247 and 71/263, expresses concern at the continuing low proportion of women in the Secretariat, in particular at the senior levels, and stresses that, in the recruitment process, the continuing lack of representation or the underrepresentation of women from certain countries, in particular developing countries, should be taken into account and that these women should be accorded equal opportunities, in full conformity with relevant resolutions. In this regard, the Special Committee notes the intention of the Secretary-General to implement a comprehensive strategy to intensify efforts to ensure greater representation of women in the Secretariat, particularly in senior leadership positions. The Special Committee takes note of the efforts undertaken as part of the senior women talent pipeline initiative. 392. The Special Committee notes the low proportion of women serving as uniformed peacekeepers and acknowledges the target to double the number of women peacekeepers by 2020. The Special Committee encourages Member States to take substantive measures to improve gender balance, such as appointing gender champions in their national systems and continuing to take steps to increase the number of women serving in their national militaries and police forces. The Special Committee also takes note of the efforts by the Secretariat and Member States to work together to reach the target of women filling 15 per cent of military observer roles by December 2017. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to pr ovide a briefing on the subject, involving the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support, the Department of Political Affairs and UN -Women,
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to be followed by an interactive dialogue with Member States before the next substantive session. 393. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to take appropriate measures for the selection of the best-qualified candidates for positions at senior and policymaking levels, with due consideration for geographical diversity, as a means of strengthening the peacekeeping partnership. 394. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts made by the Department of Field Support to address the issue of the number of vacancies in peacekeeping missions and encourages the Secretariat to accelerate the recruitment and approval process of personnel, including senior mission leadership, including by reviewing relevant administrative policies and processes relating to the recruitment and deployment of field personnel, and to report on the steps taken. 395. The Special Committee welcomes the efforts made by the Secretariat to improve the recruitment and selection process for appointments of military and police specialists in all departments dealing with peacekeeping, including by improving transparency throughout, and continues to urge the Secretariat to expedite this process. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to circulate to Member States, on a yearly basis and in a timely and transparent manner, a list with such vacancies in specialist areas. 396. The Special Committee underlines that, in the selection of special representatives of the Secretary-General and other posts of senior mission leadership, the leadership competencies of the candidates are and should continue to be of prominent consideration, in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to include experience gathered from the leadership partnering initiative for senior mission leaders in its briefing before the next substantive session of the Committee. Promising future candidates for senior leadership, including more women, should be identified early, trained, mentored and promoted through the system. 397. The Special Committee reiterates its support for the improvement of human resources management, with a view to enhancing the quality of staff and improving the retention of valuable staff in the United Nations peacekeeping bodies. 398. The Special Committee recognizes the continuing need for competent civilian components in peacekeeping operations and notes that the Secretary-General has underlined the need for the improved mobilization of relevant resources. 399. The Special Committee, recalling paragraph 6 of section XI of General Assembly resolution 59/296, requests the Secretary-General to continue to give due attention, under the existing staff rules and regulations, to the issue of the greater use of national staff in peacekeeping operations and its impact on the relations with the host country. The Special Committee underscores the advantages of local recruitment in peacekeeping missions and the positive impact of those recruited on the relations with the host country. 400. The Special Committee recalls and underlines the importance of effective interaction between Headquarters and the field to ensure efficient communications for the safety of all peacekeeping personnel. In this regard, it recognizes the importance of the staff in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support having competence in either or both of the working languages of the Secretariat. 401. The Special Committee acknowledges that the interaction of United Nations military, police and civilian personnel with the local population is necessary for the efficient and successful implementation of peacekeeping operations. To that end,
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language skills are required and shall constitute an important element of the selection and training processes. Therefore, the Special Committee urges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to make further efforts in recruiting staff and experts, both male and female, on mission with language skills that are relevant to the particular mission area where they are to be deployed so that specific requirements of peacekeeping operations can be addressed. In particular, a good command of the official language spoken in the country should be taken into account as an essential asset during these processes. 402. The Special Committee reminds the Secretariat that staff sent to United Nations field operations to conduct examinations for experts on mission, in particular examinations in language and driving skills, are to be certified and adhere to examination criteria based on the standard United Nations programmes. 403. The Special Committee notes with appreciation the outreach efforts conducted by the Field Personnel Division with Member States, with a view to encouraging more candidates, in particular from developing countries, to apply for vacancies in United Nations peacekeeping operations and encourages that these efforts be maintained and strengthened.
O. Financial issues
404. The Special Committee recalls all relevant General Assembly resolutions on cross-cutting issues and urges a speedy and appropriate follow-up on compensation claims submitted by troop-contributing and police-contributing countries in cases of illness, disability or death, as a result of their participation in peacekeeping missions, in order to ensure the timely settlement of all related claims within three months from the date of their submission. The Special Committee stresses that the rates of compensation of death and disability for all personnel categories should be kept under timely review by the General Assembly and adjusted as necessary according to existing rules and procedures. 405. The Special Committee recalls that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate Main Committee of the General Assembly entrusted with responsibility for administrative and budgetary matters. The Special Committee also recalls rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. 406. The Special Committee again stresses that all Member States must pay their assessed contributions in full, on time and without conditions. It reaffirms the obligation of Member States under Article 17 of the Charter to bear the expenses of the Organization as apportioned by the General Assembly, bearing in mind the special responsibilities of the permanent members of the Security Council for the maintenance of peace and security, as indicated in General Assembly resolution 1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963. 407. The Special Committee expresses concern over the significant amount of outstanding reimbursements that the United Nations currently owes to troop- contributing countries and notes that there are still contributors that have not yet been reimbursed for their participation in various ongoing missions and closed missions, going back more than a decade. 408. The Special Committee reiterates the importance of ensuring the timely reimbursement of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries for their peacekeeping contributions. In this regard, the Special Committee urges the Secretariat to ensure the rapid processing and payment of reimbursements, mindful
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of the adverse effects of such delays on the capacities of troop-contributing and police-contributing countries to sustain their participation. 409. The Special Committee requests that the Secretariat, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/261, make available to the troop-contributing and police-contributing countries concerned a detailed report explaining deductions from troop cost owing to Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment shortfalls. 410. The Special Committee requests the Secretary-General to finalize and implement the guidelines for the award of the risk and premium for key enabling capabilities, as authorized in General Assembly resolution 67/261. 411. The Special Committee recalls General Assembly resolutions 67/261 and 68/281 on rates of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and looks forward to the scheduled quadrennial review of the rates of reimbursement based on the next survey. 412. The Special Committee notes that General Assembly resolution 68/282 endorsed the recommendations of the 2014 meeting of the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment and notes the meeting of the Working Group that was held in 2017. 413. The Special Committee notes the current practice of the Secretariat to include, within proposed peacekeeping mission budgets on a case-by-case basis, programmatic resources when they are necessary for the effective implementation of mandated tasks. 414. The Special Committee takes note of the financial recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and the decision on the related proposals of the Secretary-General by the Fifth Committee without prejudging the outcome.
P. Other matters
415. The Special Committee encourages the Secretariat to continue to improve the timeliness of its submissions so that the Special Committee may continue and further improve its work and make it as relevant and as effective as possible. The Special Committee notes the efforts of the Secretariat to deliver timely and informative briefings and requests that it continue in this manner ahead of the next substantive session. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to make its briefings and updates available as early as possible ahead of the actual brief or update. 416. The Special Committee welcomes the progress that has been made by its members in discussing and implementing measures to enhance the working methods of the Special Committee and its Working Group of the Whole. The Special Committee takes note of the work accomplished by the open-ended intersessional group of Friends of the Chair established to consider its working methods, which was concluded by the adoption of the decision on its working methods (see annex I to the report on its 2014 substantive session (A/68/19)). The Special Committee encourages its members to continue to hold an informal dialogue in this group, with a view to identifying further improvements to enhance its working methods, while also addressing the recommendations already made. The Special Committee encourages the Bureau of the Special Committee to continue to facilitate this dialogue and to keep Member States updated on developments related thereto. 417. The Special Committee stresses the importance for peacekeeping missions of taking steps aimed at implementing sound environmental practices in order to
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reduce the overall environmental footprint of United Nations peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the Special Committee stresses the necessity of observing the established United Nations rules and regulations applicable to the functioning of peacekeeping operations. 418. The Special Committee emphasizes that the least disruption in transition and departure takes place when United Nations missions work closely with their national counterparts and regional partners. Mission transitions should take into account and seek to minimize the potential impacts of the mission’s departure. In this light, the Special Committee recognizes that co-use and post-mission use of United Nations facilities by the local population and members of the United Nations system can contribute positively to a smooth transition. The Special Committee acknowledges that co-use depends on the current safety and security situation. The Special Committee requests the Secretariat to develop a policy on co-use and post- mission use, taking into account, as appropriate, existing rules and regulations and requests to be briefed on the progress well before its next substantial session. 419. The Special Committee notes that briefings are an important part of the consultative process but are not a substitute for approval, when required.
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Annex I
Decision on working methods
The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, recalling annex I to the report on its 2016 session, and pursuant to the intersessional meeting of the group of Friends of the Chair held on 15 June 2016: (a) Emphasizes the importance of continuously reviewing the working methods of the Special Committee with a view to enhancing the Committee’s ability to fully examine and capture the implications of the changing demands on United Nations peacekeeping and to present key messages and priorities in its report; (b) Decides: (i) That an informal working group will be established to examine options to update the annual report of the Special Committee and its corresponding working methods; (ii) On the basis of the feedback of the working group, the Bureau of the Special Committee will initiate a dialogue with membership with the goal of having updated working methods for the Committee agreed by consensus, by an anticipated date of 31 May 2017 and to be applied at its 2018 session; (c) Also decides that the present decision will be included as an annex to the report of the Special Committee on its 2017 session.
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Annex II
Composition of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
Members: The Special Committee currently consists of the following 151 members: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Observers: Botswana, Holy See, African Union, European Union, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Criminal Court, International Criminal Police Organization, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, International Organization of la Francophonie, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Sovereign Order of Malta.
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